This is the first time in history that the Singapore team has qualified to participate in the most prestigious tournament in the continent. Previously, Singapore's only appearance at the Asian Cup was in 1984 as host of the 1984 Asian Cup.
The match was full of tension as the home team Hong Kong (China) took a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute thanks to Matt Orr. Hong Kong (China) continued to maintain an overwhelming position, putting a lot of pressure on the opponent's defense.
However, the turning point only really came in the second half. In the 64th minute, from Ilhan Fandi's assist, Shawal Anuar made a technical volley over goalkeeper Wang Zhenpeng to score an equalizer 1-1.
Just 4 minutes later, Ilhan Fandi himself continued to make his mark with the goal that sealed Singapore's 2-1 victory.
Despite having to endure a lot of pressure in the final minutes of the match, including a header hit the crossbar from Hong Kong (China), the Singapore defense held on to preserve the historic victory.
With this result, Singapore leads Group C of the Asian Cup qualifiers with 11 points after 5 matches, 3 points more than Hong Kong (China). Applying the rule of prioritizing head-to-head results (as Singapore beat Hong Kong (China) in the second leg and drew the first leg), the Southeast Asian team officially has a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup, regardless of the results of the final match in March next year.
