Singapore coach Gavin Lee is calling on the Lions to respond quickly to their 2-0 defeat by Indonesia as they prepare for a crucial FIFA ASEAN Cup Group A clash against Bangladesh.
Singapore entered the tournament with expectations rising after a strong run in the previous ASEAN Championship, but the opening loss in Jakarta has left the team with little room for another setback.
Lee, however, said he does not want the defeat to lower expectations surrounding the national team. Instead, he wants Singapore’s performances to continue giving supporters reasons to believe in the side.
The Lions were beaten by Indonesia on Sept. 25, with Ragnar Oratmangoen opening the scoring in the first half before Ole Romeny converted a penalty after Singapore were reduced to 10 men following Safuwan Baharudin’s red card.
Singapore struggled to create clear opportunities during the match, although Lee said the team responded better after the interval and became more compact defensively.
The defeat left Singapore third in Group A after the opening round. Malaysia moved to the top after beating Bangladesh 3-0, while Singapore and Bangladesh now face each other with both sides needing a result to keep their campaign moving in the right direction.
The Bangladesh match also gives Singapore another opportunity to draw on recent progress under Lee.
Earlier this year, the Lions completed their Asian Cup qualifying campaign unbeaten, including a 1-0 victory over Bangladesh in March. Singapore finished that qualifying campaign with four wins and two draws to top its group.
Singapore also produced a memorable run in the ASEAN Championship before the FIFA ASEAN Cup. The Lions reached the semi-finals and defeated Thailand 2-1 in the second leg in Bangkok, recording their first victory over Thailand in almost 14 years. They nevertheless lost 4-3 on aggregate.
Lee believes those performances have changed the expectations around the national team. Rather than trying to reduce pressure, he wants the players to respond by producing performances that provide further evidence of their progress.
Bangladesh will arrive with its own motivation after losing 3-0 to Malaysia in its opening match. Coach Thomas Dooley has called for a more aggressive approach after criticizing his team’s tendency to retreat too deeply against Malaysia.
The two sides are familiar with each other. Singapore defeated Bangladesh 2-1 in Dhaka in June 2025 before winning 1-0 at the National Stadium in March, completing an unbeaten Asian Cup qualifying campaign against them.
The latest meeting comes under a different set of circumstances, however. Singapore have only two full days to recover from the Indonesia match, while Bangladesh are also coming off a defeat and need points to remain in contention.
Only the winner of Group A will advance directly to the FIFA ASEAN Cup final, while the runner-up will play in the bronze-medal match. Singapore will then conclude the group stage against Malaysia in Bandung on Oct. 1.
The Bangladesh match therefore represents an immediate test of Singapore’s ability to respond to adversity. For Lee, the objective is not simply to erase the disappointment of the Indonesia defeat, but to keep building the performances that have helped reconnect the Lions with their supporters.
