October 17, 2023, 04:10 PM
Singapore advanced to the second round of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers after beating Guam 1-0 on Tuesday (Oct. 17) afternoon (SGT).
The match took place at the GFA National Training Center in Guam, with over 1,000 spectators in attendance.
The Lions, ranked 157th in the world, went into the match with a narrow 2-1 advantage after defeating 201st-ranked Guam on home ground on Oct. 12.
Second leg
First half
Singapore did not make any changes to its starting line-up, with the exception of Ilhan Fandi who played up front in lieu of Shawal Anuar.
The first 30 minutes of the game saw a number of fouls from both sides.
Singapore's Lionel Tan, as well as Guam's Travis Nicklaw and Kyle Halehale each received a yellow card.
Around the 43rd minute, Lions keeper Hassan Sunny made an important save when Guam's Marcus Lopez fired a shot from close range.
The score remained at 0-0 at half time, with Singapore still having a slight edge over Guam.
Second half
Singapore made two changes at the start of the second half, with Hafiz Nor replacing Christopher Van Huizen and Shawal Anuar coming on for Hami Syahin.
In the 62nd minute, Ilhan Fandi was substituted out. He was replaced by Iqbal Hussain.
The game remained goalless until the 81st minute.
Substitute Iqbal combined with Shawal for the first and only goal of the match.
Image via Football Association of Singapore (FAS).
Guam had a couple of close chances following Singapore's goal, but they were unable to find the back of the net.
At the start of the six-minute stoppage time, Guam's Dane Jacob Agustin was sent off for a tackle on Shawal, who had a clear chance on goal.
The last few minutes of the game then saw a heated exchange between Lions midfielder Shah Shahiran and a few Guam players. Shah was booked after the altercation.
The Lions continued to hold on to their lead until the final whistle was blown.
Singapore defeated Guam 1-0, with 3-1 as the final aggregate.
With this win, Singapore advances to the second round of the World Cup qualifiers.
The Lions will be grouped with Asian powerhouses South Korea, China and Thailand.
Their next match will be against South Korea in Seoul on Nov. 16, 2023.
Top images via FAS/Instagram.
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