Singapore secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Cambodia on July 24, 2026, at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The Lions opened their Group A campaign in the 2026 ASEAN Championship with a late, 101st-minute winning goal from Ilhan Fandi after a dramatic match marked by a lengthy VAR review.
The win maintains a positive momentum for the Lions, though it came via a hard-fought escape that nearly saw them fall to their 175th-ranked opponents. Singapore, currently World No. 148, had beaten Cambodia in all four of their previous encounters in the tournament, but this match pushed that streak to the limit.
Shawal Anuar’s Opener and Cambodia’s Tactical Shift
Singapore controlled the early exchanges, finding the breakthrough in the 22nd minute. Lionel Tan delivered an incisive through ball from his own half, allowing Shawal Anuar to power a right-foot shot past goalkeeper Hul Kimhuy, clipping the inside of the post.
The dynamic shifted significantly after the interval. Cambodia, bolstered by five naturalized players including forward Abdel Kader Coulibaly, intensified their pressure in front of 27,790 fans. Ten minutes into the second half, right-back Ouk Sovann capitalized on Singapore’s failure to clear their lines, rifling home a strike to equalize.
The hosts nearly took the lead in the 66th minute when Sa Ty cut inside Irfan Fandi, but goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud produced a critical save to keep the match level.
The 10-Minute VAR Delay and Ilhan Fandi’s Winner
The closing stages were defined by a high-tension VAR sequence. In the 89th minute, Ilhan Fandi put the ball in the net, but the goal was disallowed after a check lasting almost 10 minutes. The officials eventually ruled that Jacob Mahler was in an offside position.
“I’m truly sorry we did not do well and conceded the goal at the end because of a few factors, one of which was the lengthy VAR check as we lost focus.”
Koji Gyotoku, Cambodia Coach
Despite the psychological blow of the disallowed goal, Ilhan found the net again in the 101st minute. After flicking up a pass from Song Ui-young, the 23-year-old struck a scissors-kick winner that proved unstoppable.
This marks Ilhan’s seventh goal from 26 international appearances. The striker, who previously scored Singapore’s winner against Hong Kong in November 2025 that sent the Lions through to the Asian Cup, reflected on the resilience required to stay focused during the VAR hiatus.
“VAR checks are part of football. Standing there waiting for so long, you run out of gas a bit. The officials did their jobs, and coach Gavin told me to stop complaining and carry on playing, and that’s what I did.”
Ilhan Fandi, Singapore Striker
Gavin Lee’s Tactical Critique
While the result was a win, Singapore coach Gavin Lee expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s execution. Lee noted that the squad failed to adhere to certain agreements, particularly regarding midfield space.
“At half-time, we showed everyone the mirror. In the first half, there was way too much space in midfield and we suffered. There were many uncomfortable moments today and we allowed that to own us, so that’s a learning lesson.”
Gavin Lee, Singapore Coach
Lee credited strong characters like Song and Ilhan for securing the result, describing the late goal as a show of our resilience
.
Tournament Stakes and Group A Outlook
The ASEAN Hyundai Cup, the 16th edition of the championship, runs from July 24 to August 26. The group stage follows a home-or-away single round-robin basis, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the two-legged semi-finals.
Singapore faces a grueling schedule with three matches in eight days.
Analysis: A Pattern of Narrow Victories
This 2-1 result is reminiscent of the three 2-1 away wins Singapore eked out in their successful Asian Cup qualifying campaign against Bangladesh, India and Hong Kong, as the Lions showed they can find ways to win when the going gets tough.
However, the reliance on individual brilliance—specifically from Ilhan Fandi—and the struggle to maintain midfield control may become a liability against higher-ranked opponents like Vietnam. While the feel-good factor
in the Lions camp continues, but only just, the gap between Singapore’s performance and the final scoreline indicates a vulnerability that Cambodia nearly exploited.
