Singapore will go for win against Hong Kong, ‘not entertaining’ thought of draw: Gavin Lee

Should the crunch clash finish in a draw, qualification will come down to results on the final matchday, where Singapore host Bangladesh and Hong Kong play India away.

Speaking to reporters, Lee’s counterpart Ashley Westwood described the Lions as a side “very equal” to Hong Kong, but his team are thinking about “nothing but winning”.

“We’re in control of our own levels of commitment, our own levels of desire, our own levels of preparation, and I can assure you we’ve done everything we can … to be prepared as well as possible,” said the Englishman.

“We’re entering an unknown, which is football. But we’re confident. We don’t feel any pressure because pressure is what we live for. We want to play in big moments, big games … and we’re doing everything for Hong Kong … to get a result and move forward.”

The Lions’ only appearance at an Asian Cup was in 1984, with an automatic qualification as the host nation of that year’s tournament. 

QUALIFICATION NOT AN “EXPECTATION”: WESTWOOD

The Lions will also be up against fervent home support, with tickets allocated for the Hong Kong supporters at the 50,000-seater stadium sold out in under 80 minutes last Friday. Tickets were reportedly being resold for up to seventeen times their original price.

About two thousand Singapore fans are expected to cheer their team on.

“We are very grateful that the fans have chosen to spend their hard-earned (money) to come and support us,” Football Association of Singapore (FAS) deputy president Desmond Ong told CNA on Sunday.

“The boys are really, really touched … but more important than that, apart from expressing their gratitude, we want them to be safe. If for any reason they encounter any sort of difficulty while they’re here, please do not hesitate to get in touch with someone from the FA, and we’ll do our best to try and ensure their safety.”