Song's double gives Singapore valuable victory in India, keeps Asian Cup hopes alive
If Singapore beat Hong Kong in the next game, they are through to the Asian Cup.
Singapore's Song Ui-young in action against India on Oct 14, 2025. (Photo: Football Association of Singapore)
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SINGAPORE: Days after a frustrating draw at the National Stadium, the Lions grabbed a pivotal 2-1 win away in India on Tuesday (Oct 14) to revive their hopes of making the Asian Cup.
At the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa, a Song Ui-young double gave Gavin Lee's men all three points as they came from behind after an early Lallianzuala Chhangte strike.
Singapore remain second in Group C, after Hong Kong were held 1-1 by Bangladesh earlier in the evening.
With four games played, Hong Kong top the group with eight points, followed by Singapore, also with eight. Both sides have the same goal difference, but Hong Kong has scored one goal more.
Bangladesh and India each have two points.
Singapore will next face Hong Kong away on Nov 18. If they win that game, they are through to the Asian Cup due to a superior head-to-head. Singapore drew 0-0 with Hong Kong at home during the opening match of their Asian Cup qualifying campaign in March.
"I'm just very, very pleased with the boys, because I knew how much we hurt, or how much they hurt, after the first game (with India) ... For us to go out there and to come back after one goal down to get the win, I'm just very, very happy for them and the staff," said Lee after the game.
SONG'S BRACE
On Tuesday, it was all India in the first 45 minutes of the return leg, which was played out at a frenetic pace. It took just 13 minutes for India to go ahead as a long-range stunner from Chhangte beat Izwan Mahbud.
As the Lions were at sixes and sevens, India continued in the ascendancy.
The home side almost doubled their lead in the 28th minute as Safuwan Baharudin cleared a Liston Colacco effort off the line with Izwan beaten. An unmarked Chhangte ballooned the ball over the bar just a minute later.
It was India again who could have gone in front in the 35th minute, but Izwan pulled off a good stop.
Just a minute before the half, Singapore got back on level terms as Glenn Kweh cleverly laid the ball off to Song, who drilled a strike into the back of the net.
The Lions doubled their lead in the 58th minute as a ball from Ikhsan Fandi found Shawal, who squared a pass in the penalty box to Song.
The Lion City Sailors attacker took one touch to steady himself before he smashed the ball past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Singapore’s only appearance at the tournament was in 1984, with an automatic qualification as the host nation. The team have yet to earn a place in the Asian Cup on merit.
India are the top-ranked side in the group at 134th, while Hong Kong are 146th, Singapore are 158th and Bangladesh sit at 184th.
"We're very pleased ... with the three points that put us back in place for the qualifiers, and what's next for us is to recover, regroup, and go again against Hong Kong," said Lee.
