Lions coach Gavin Lee preaches calm as he plots ASEAN C’ship s-final comeback

BANGKOK – As dark clouds loomed over the Rajamangala National Stadium just before the Aug 17 pre-match press conference, Lions coach Gavin Lee preached calm amid the gloom.

Their mission, which many had described as an uphill battle, is to overturn a 3-1 deficit in the second leg of their ASEAN Championship semi-final on Aug 18.

World No. 148 Singapore need to beat 94th-ranked Thailand by two goals to force an aggregate draw. As the away-goals rule does not apply at this tournament, a 2-0 win will be enough for the Lions to take the game into extra time.

But this does not necessarily change the team’s approach, said Lee. “We are very aware of the situation but it would be very dangerous if we just focus on chasing the results because if things don’t go our way, it causes unnecessary stress,” added the 35-year-old.

“With 90 more minutes, a lot can be done in football – I’ve seen this squad score two goals in three minutes before.

“But at the same time, as the clock winds down tomorrow, we cannot allow it to affect us. If we don’t get an early goal, people might get a little bit stressed. So, we just got to deal with ourselves, manage our expectations and intentions, and be as clear as we can throughout the 90 minutes.”

While the Lions have gained the respect and admiration of fans and opponents for their battling performances in recent months to qualify for the Asian Cup and ASEAN Championship semi-finals, lapses in concentration and the lack of individual quality were exposed by Thailand in the first leg.

Lee said: “We weren’t satisfied as a team in the first leg... and tomorrow, it’s about us putting up a better performance that is worthy enough to bring us to the next stage.

“ Against China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, we didn’t really soak and strike. We just did what we needed to do in the different phases of the game, and we try to do it well. Against good teams, naturally, we will be forced back a little bit more, but we dominated the game against Thailand in terms of possession (72 per cent).

“The question is: Why do we still concede so many goals with that much possession? We needed to answer that internally, and it gives us the chance to work a little bit more in terms of closing the door at the back, but at the same time creating more opportunities for ourselves up front.”

No team have managed to overturn a two-goal deficit since the two-legged semi-finals were introduced in the 2004 edition.

But four-time winners Singapore, who welcome dynamic midfielder Song Ui-young back from suspension, will look to recent results for inspiration, having secured 2-1 wins over India and Hong Kong in their historic Asian Cup qualifying campaign after falling behind.

Ilhan Fandi, the Lions’ leading scorer at this ASEAN Championship with four goals in five games, said: “What’s life without challenges?

“Tomorrow is another challenge and this team love challenges. This is a semi-final and we should be motivated. Yes, we know we are two goals down, but this is a group of fighters, and we’re going to go out there and fight. Whether it’s 90 minutes or 120 minutes, we’re going to give our all.”

Meanwhile, Thailand coach Anthony Hudson had to again address his confrontation with Lee after the first leg at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The 45-year-old Englishman, who has yet to taste defeat with Thailand, having garnered eight wins and two draws since taking over in October 2025, felt the matter was “blown out of proportion”.

He explained that there were pent-up emotions following “several situations that made myself and my staff a little bit frustrated”.

Citing an example of Lionel Tan taking too long to take a throw-in before it led to a first-half penalty, Hudson said: “I went over at the end to say you guys are a really good team, why did you need to do things like that?”

He said he felt “very embarrassed” when he saw videos of the incident, adding that he “felt bad about the situation” when asked about it by his mother.

In response, Lee acknowledged emotions can run high in football even as he and his team try to stay in control.

He said: “It doesn’t change the respect we have for him and our opposition. But when you cross the white line, it’s about us doing our jobs.”

Hudson reiterated his “utmost respect” for Lee and the Lions for being tough opponents that are “complicated” to play against, but added that the seven-time champions “can be a lot better” even with the 3-1 lead and can afford to rotate players.

On the second leg, he said: “Our mindset will be 0-0 and this will be like a final for us. There will be no complacency... we have to approach this game like it’s 0-0, start with intensity and show ambition to win this game.

“I feel very fortunate that we have a really good group of players who have worked so well since the first day of our training camp.

“They have given me a lot of confidence and it’s an advantage that we can make some changes, so we will see a few players come in and freshen up the group. I don’t see a 1 per cent drop in performance because I trust the group.”

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