Myanmar sprang a surprise on Singapore when they edged the hosts 2-1 in their second match day of Group A of the men’s football here at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
The win allowed Myanmar to be in the driver’s seat in the group following their 4-2 victory over Indonesia a few days earlier.
“It was very difficult to play against the hosts,” said Myanmar coach Kyi Lwin after the game. “So the win tonight is very important.
“I think that we deserved to win as we fought for everything. We are taking one match at a time and now we have two wins from two matches which is very good.”
Backed by several thousand fans at the stand who broke into the national team every so often, pushed Myanmar into full action although it was Singapore who created the first real chance of the game in the 15th minute.
A short pass from Muhammad Faris Ramli did not see the perfect end as Mohammad Sahil Suhaimi just took a tad too long for the finish.
But as Singapore pressed ahead and confident that they are coming closer and closer, it was Myanmar who grabbed the lead in the 25th minute when off a Kaung Sat Naing freekick from the right, the waiting Nay Lin Tun slammed the ball in from the far post.
The lead was not to last for very long though as eight minutes later, Myanmar conceded a penalty when referee Yousef Al Marzouq from Kuwait penalized them for handball.
Faris did not disappoint from the spot as he sent the ball to the top left corner.
Into the second half and Singapore felt that they were within a chance of collecting the full points but Myanmar stood firm against the overwhelming onslaught.
As M. Anumanthan muffed a sitter in front of an open goal, it allowed Myanmar to take the lead once again when Ko Oo Ye grounded another freekick that took an awkward bounce as it went over Singapore custodian Muhammad Syazwan Buhari.
Singapore never gave up and the change for Irfan Fandi gave them fresh options but as several chances went a begging, the end game approached as Myanmar celebrated their famous victory.
“The boys tried their best and they gave everything,” said Singapore coach Aide Iskandar. “Myanmar did not really trouble us where their two goals came from set pieces.
In the meantime in the other match that was played on the same night at the Bishan Stadium, Vietnam beat Laos 1-0.
After Vietnam’s 5-1 thrashing of Malaysia two days ago, there were expectations that they would do the same again.
But Laos turned out to be a whole different kettle of fish as Vietnam tried hard but could only eke out the lone goal through Nguyen Thanh Hien in the 65th minute.
RESULTS – 4 June 2015
Malaysia 0 Thailand 1
Vietnam 1 Laos 0
Singapore 1 Myanmar 2
PICTURES by www.asiana.my
