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National striker Ikhsan Fandhi banished the demons of an injury-hampered season with Thai side BG Pathum as he led Singapore to a 3-1 victory over the Maldives on Thursday (June 5).
He marked his return to the national fold in style at the Bishan Stadium as the forward showed flashes of his clinical finishing, notching a brace against his 164th-placed opponents.
Teammate and midfielder Song Uiyoung also showed little signs of rust on his return — after he took a year-long break from the national setup due to family issues — delivering with trademark precision from set pieces and bagging two assists.
Despite their time away, the pair slotted seamlessly back into the side, displaying sharpness and composure during the tune-up match, ahead of next Tuesday’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh.
“(Ikhsan) is scoring from both set pieces and open play. I hope he continues to get better,” Singapore coach Tsutomu Ogura said. “It will give him confidence, which is good for our next game against Bangladesh.”
With just five days to go before their crucial fixture in Dhaka, defender Safuwan Baharudin was pleased to get the win over the line, with the Lions’ last victory a 3-0 result over Timor Leste in the AFF Championship group stages last December.
“We haven’t had a win in quite a while. I was not worried about us getting the goals, but I was worried that we wouldn’t get the win… If we can pick up wins along the way and become more consistent, Singapore will be better.”
He also emphasised that overcoming the challenge of limited playing time together will be essential.
“To be honest, fitness-wise, we are all there. I think things will be better in the next few days. But maybe we should sit down and discuss what can be improved… (The Bangladesh game) is going to be tough,” the 33-year-old said. “Like I said to the team, the (Bangladesh) game is our second group game, not our last. If we get a positive result, that changes everything.”
In front of a 2,297-strong crowd, the hosts raced to a commanding 3-0 lead, capitalising on pinpoint deliveries from midfield and set pieces.
Singapore broke the deadlock in the seventh minute when Song Ui-young’s corner was met by Amirul Adli, whose glancing header found the net for his first international goal.
The Lions doubled their advantage midway soon after when Harhys Stewart found space on the left and whipped in a teasing cross that allowed an unmarked Ikhsan Fandi to rise highest and nod the ball into the bottom corner.
Ikhsan then doubled his tally after the half-hour mark, connecting with a well-taken free kick from Song for his 20th goal in national colours, after an absence that stretched back to last June.
Just before half-time, the visitors came close to pulling one back when Ali Fasir turned his marker deftly and unleashed a powerful shot that rattled the crossbar.
During the post-match press conference, coach Ogura urged his players to maintain their intensity throughout both halves. “I told the players, three-nil is not enough… Scoring four, five or six goals, that’s the difference between a strong team and a normal team. I want Singapore to become a strong team. This is very important to have this mentality in football.”
After the break, Fasir squandered yet another golden opportunity after his side pounced on a poor clearance from goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud, but, remarkably, he failed to hit the target from just six yards out.
But the veteran striker earned his side a late penalty after being tripped by the outstretched leg of Safuwan. Substitute Ahmed Rizuvan stepped up to convert the spot kick, giving the visitors a consolation goal to cheer.
Maldives coach Ali Suzain said: “The players gave a good effort and in the second half, we played good football… We had a few open chances in the second half.”
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