Singapore come up short in 1-0 friendly defeat to Nepal – Football Association of Singapore
Kyoga Nakamura in action against Nepal, 21 March 2025.
SINGAPORE, 21 MARCH 2025 – Up against a well-drilled Nepalese outfit, the Singapore Men’s National Team fell to a 1-0 defeat in their sole friendly match of the March FIFA international window on Friday (21 March).
A staunch Nepalese defence kept the Lions’ strikeforce at bay in front of a 5,078-strong crowd at the National Stadium, with winger Gillespye Jung Karki’s solitary goal proving to be the difference between the two sides.
Singapore Head Coach Tsutomu Ogura acknowledged that the Lions were up against tough opposition, but he was brutal in his assessment that his side’s performance on the pitch left very much to be desired.
“I’ve been here one year and two or three months now and this is the worst game we have played, worse than the 7-0 loss against South Korea. Nepal were much better. The team performance was not good, and the responsibility lies with me.”
“I select the players, decide how we play, and show our concept of football. If we can’t show our football, it is my responsibility, and I apologise to our fans who came out today.”
“Today’s performance wasn’t good enough; we did not play as a team, and my players understand that they must improve if they want a result against Hong Kong,” said Ogura.
The away side started the match on the front foot, taking the game to the Lions, and were duly rewarded in the 12th minute when Karki sent his first-time sidefooted effort into the bottom corner of Izwan Mahbud’s goal.
Ryhan Stewart came close to producing an immediate response for the Lions just eight minutes later, but was denied from close range by a brilliant double save from Nepal skipper Kiran Chemjong.
Ryhan Stewart denied by Nepal Captain and Goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong, 21 March 2025.
The Lions struggled to create many clear-cut opportunities in the first half, then rang the changes on the attacking front after the break, bringing on forwards Faris Ramli and Ilhan Fandi in the opening minutes of the second half. The substitutions injected some much-needed energy, and the Lions started to find spaces behind the away backline.
But the finishing touch still eluded the home side as a disciplined Nepalese outfit held firm against a flurry of Singapore attacks. A 68th-minute effort from Faris only found the arms of Chemjong, before an Ilhan free kick harmlessly sailed over the bar three minutes later.
With the clock winding down, the Lions battled tooth and nail. A late flourish in the dying moments of the game saw Harhys Stewart played in on goal in the 89th minute, but his effort was charged down by an onrushing Chemjong. Faris thought he had snatched a late equaliser for his side, but his stoppage time free kick grazed the side of the crossbar.
Faris Ramli in action at the National Stadium, 21 March 2025.
“Football is a game of 90 minutes plus additional time, not 10 minutes,” reflected Ogura, who is demanding much more from his charges. “Whether it’s an official or a friendly game – we cannot just fight only when we are behind or in the last few minutes of the game, that’s not good enough. If we want to win, we must fight throughout every minute of the match.”
But he refused to dwell on the result.
Ogura shifted his focus to what is perhaps the more crucial clash of this FIFA window – against Hong Kong, China in their opening match of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2027 qualifiers on Tuesday (25 March).
“We are going to play Hong Kong in just three days, so we must shift our mindset,” said Ogura.
“And we must play like a new team if we want to get a better result in that match.”
Tickets for the Lions’ clash with Hong Kong, China are available for purchase via Ticketek.
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
