SINGAPORE — The Singapore Lions have secured a place in the semi-finals of the ASEAN football championship after a hard-fought match on Friday, August 7, 2026, at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

A 66th-minute equaliser by Ilhan Fandi ensured Singapore’s progression after Indonesia’s Ragnar Oratmangoen scored in the 47th minute. Lions head coach Gavin Lee praised his team’s resilience, saying, "It hasn't been an easy journey. Even before the tournament started, nobody gave us a chance really in this group. And so for us to just dig deep and grind (out) the performances and results is just a nice feeling as a coach."

Man of the match Jacob Mahler, 26, who cramped midway through the post-match press conference, highlighted the significance of the match: "It was a very tough game, and we knew coming into the game the magnitude of how important this was, not only for us, but our families and all the fans of Singapore football."

Lee, who led the Lions to historic Asian Cup qualification last year, expressed hope that the team would continue to grow in belief. Mahler added, "Belief is something that we need a lot more of."

Indonesia coach John Herdman commented after the game, "I thought we dominated the game, I thought we were on top."

The Lions began their campaign with wins over Cambodia (2-1) and Timor-Leste (2-0) before a 0-0 draw away against Vietnam. Looking ahead, the team is focused on the semi-finals, aiming to give Singaporeans an exciting match to watch.