World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Battling Singapore fall 1-3 to clinical Thailand as over 29,000 fans turn up

SINGAPORE — They had a strong turnout of 29,644 fans at the National Stadium. They played their hearts out against a side which they haven't beaten in 11 years. But Singapore's hopes of qualifying for the 2026 Fifa World Cup were all but extinguished on Tuesday (21 November), after a 1-3 loss against regional powerhouses Thailand.

Although the Lions put in a committed and battling performance against the seven-time AFF Championship winners that earned applause from the appreciative crowd at full-time, their lack of incision up front cost them as the Thais took their chances far more clinically.

And with the defeat following a heavy 0-5 loss to Asian giants South Korea last Thursday in Seoul, Singapore have no points after their opening two World Cup qualifying matches, and chances of advancing past this second round of Asian Zone qualifiers look slim.

"Unfortunately we couldn't produce a result that would make the fans happy," said Singapore head coach Takayuki Nishigaya after the loss. "The players gave their all for the full 90 minutes, and they will continue to give their best for the next four qualifying games. This is our commitment to compete until the end of our qualifying campaign."

The Thais too, were desperate to avoid defeat, after a 1-2 home loss against China had also put Alexandre Polking's side under pressure, with the Brazilian coach saying during the pre-match media conference that two defeats in a row would probably end their World Cup campaign at this stage.

He sounded like a relieved man during the post-match media conference, saying, "After that totally unnecessary loss to China, we have to try our hardest to get a result here, in order to stay alive in our qualifying campaign. Singapore gave us a tough fight, especially in the first half, so I'm happy we managed to get the win."

Early setback, but Lions found superb equaliser

Thailand - who have not lost to Singapore in the past six encounters dating from 2012 - started off strongly, laying siege on Hassan Sunny's goal from the opening whistle. They took advantage of the relative inexperience of right-back Ryhan Stewart, with captain Theerathon Bunmathan and playmaker Supachok Sarachat repeatedly running at the 23-year-old.

And when Stewart conceded a throw-in in the fifth minute, Thailand struck. Theerathon's long throw found Ekanit Panya, who headed the ball down for an onrushing Supachok to slam home and silence the home fans.

With the Thais continuing to target Stewart, Nishigaya quickly made adjustment, switching Stewart with the far more experienced Nazrul Nazari from the left flank. That seemed to stem the Thai tide of attacks down that flank, but Hassan Sunny still had to pull out top-drawer saves - first a long-range screamer from Phitiwat Sookjitthammakul in the 28th minute, then a point-blank from from Ekanit seven minutes later.

Meanwhile, the Lions found little luck going forward, unable to construct any attack of note - until the 41st minute when they suddenly clicked into gear for a superb team goal.

First, veteran defender Safuwan intercepted a long pass, and the ball spilled over to his defensive partner Lionel Tan. Tan passed the ball to the nearby Hariss Harun, and the Singapore captain launched a searching long ball towards lone forward Ilhan Fandi.

Ilhan controlled the ball superbly, and switched play quickly to a marauding Song Ui-young down the left flank. And when Song crossed, on came substitute Shawal Anuar - who had replaced Shahdan Sulaiman in the 19th minute - to tap home the equaliser to a huge roar from the crowd.

Classy Teerasil and Suphanat the difference makers

The second half began on a far more even ground than the first, as the two teams traded speculative attempts on goal. But just as the match entered a period of lull, Thailand retook the lead in the 66th minute.

Polking had just put on veteran striker Teerasil Dangda to add more bite to their attack, and the 35-year-old immediately showed his class. With his back against Singapore's goal, he spun and laid a beautiful pass for an onrushing Suphanat Mueanta.

The forward still had a lot to do, but he managed to squeeze off a pin-point shot from a narrow angle that arrowed into goal, as the Thais celebrated wildly.

Still the Lions poured forward, roared on by the fans in search of another equaliser, but Teerasil again orchestrated the Thais' third goal in the 86th minute, as he again expertly found Suphanat in a counter-attack, and the 21-year-old - who is plying his trade on loan with Belgium side OH Leuven - made no mistake again with a crisp shot.

Polking was full of praise for Teerasil after the match, revealing that the veteran told him that he could only play 30 minutes as he was making his way back from injury.

"I always joke with him that he's an old horse, but wow, what a horse," he quipped. "He's the best striker I have seen in my entire career, and his contributions are still crucial to us."

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.