Singapore falls 4-1 to China in World Cup Qualifier 2nd leg

SINGAPORE: On Tuesday night (26 March), Singapore suffered a 4-1 defeat to China in the second leg of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

With approximately 50,000 spectators in attendance, the match commenced at 8pm (Singapore time) at the Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium in China.

Both China and Singapore participate in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

China seized an early lead with a 21st-minute strike by Wu Lei, which was quickly equalized by Faris Ramli.

However, a second-half penalty by Fernandinho tilted the momentum in favour of the home side, with late goals from Wu Lei and Wei Shihao adding to their lead.

Singapore entered the match following a morale-boosting 2-2 comeback draw at the National Stadium in Singapore last Thursday, while their opponents faced widespread criticism after the outcome.

Captain Zhang Linpeng's threat to retire from international football due to the "humiliating" result was followed by a reversal of his decision.

Singapore faced China without suspended centre-backs Safuwan Baharudin and Lionel Tan, who received suspensions after the first leg match on 21 March.

Additionally, midfielder Anumanthan Kumar was sidelined due to injury.

Head coach Tsutomu Ogura made several adjustments to his starting lineup, including placing key striker Ikhsan Fandi on the bench and Shawal Anuar in the forward position.

The first half concluded with the score tied at 1-1.

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The second half proved to be challenging for the Lions as events took a downturn.

In the 63rd minute, China was granted a penalty by the referee, who adjudged Jacob Mahler to have committed a foul.

Despite the Lions' protests against the referee's decision, Mahler was cautioned with a yellow card, and Fernandinho (or Fei Nanduo) successfully deceived Lions' keeper Hassan Sunny to give China the lead in the 65th minute.

The match took a further twist in the 79th minute when China's Li Yuanyi received a red card for a harsh tackle on Singapore's Joel Chew from behind.

Chew, who had just entered the pitch minutes earlier, suffered the impact severely and required assistance to leave the field. He was later spotted on the sidelines with a leg bandage.

With Singapore having exhausted all its substitutions, both teams were reduced to ten players.

The Lions' situation worsened as captain Wu Lei doubled his goal count with a strike in the 85th minute.

Shortly after, Wei Shihao secured the victory for China, extending their lead.

The match concluded with China emerging victorious with a 4-1 scoreline.

According to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), the last time Singapore defeated China in a competitive match was during the 1983 Merlion Cup, with the Lions triumphing 1-0 in the semi-final.

Following this defeat, Singapore remained at the bottom of the table with one point.

South Korea and Thailand, the other two teams in Group C, also faced each other on the same night.

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