SINGAPORE: As far as Southeast Asian football rivalries go, they do not come much bigger than Singapore versus Malaysia.
Given the countries' close proximity and shared history, there is an extra edge to Causeway derbies.
But when the Lions travel to Kuala Lumpur to take on their arch-rivals in the ASEAN football championship on Friday (Dec 20), bragging rights are more than just at stake.
For Singapore, the objective ahead of their final group game at the Bukit Jalil Stadium is clear.
As long as the visitors avoid defeat, they will advance to the semi-finals for the first time since the 2020 edition,
The hosts, on the other hand, have no margin for error. Only a victory over their fiercest rivals will suffice as they bid to qualify for the last four.
Since 1958, Singapore's record against Malaysia - including friendlies - stands at 26 wins, 22 draws and 32 defeats.
Ahead of the 81st match between the Lions and Harimau Malaya, here is a look back at five of the more memorable clashes:
Aleksandar Duric celebrating a goal for Singapore against Malaysia on Jul 23, 2011. (File photo: Facebook/FAS)
Singapore prevailed across the two-legged second-round tie, but it was the first leg that caught the imagination, with the Lions winning 5-3 at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Jul 23, 2011.
The Malayan Tigers took a shock lead in the first minute through Safee Sali, only for Singapore to hit back with four unanswered goals from Aleksandar Duric, Qiu Li, Fahrudin Mustafic and Shi Jiayi.
Both sides each had a player sent off in the second half, but it was the visitors who threatened a turnaround via strikes from Safee and Abdul Yahaya, before Duric nabbed his second of the evening to help Singapore draw first blood.
The away second leg ended in a 1-1 stalemate as the Lions reached the third round of the World Cup qualifiers, before finishing bottom of their group with six losses in as many games.
Shahril Ishak celebrates after scoring against Malaysia on Nov 25, 2012. (File photo: FAS/SPORTFIVE)
The Lions stamped their ASEAN football championship credentials with a resounding 3-0 away win on Nov 25, 2012, against Malaysia.
Skipper Shahril Ishak scored a brace in the first half before Duric - at the ripe old age of 42 - added another after the interval in one of Singapore's finest football moments.
In what was Raddy Avramovic's final tournament as head coach, the Lions eventually went all the way to win the tournament, beating Thailand over a two-legged final with an aggregate of 3-2.
This remains the last time Singapore won the ASEAN football championship, with the Lions failing to progress past the group stage in four out of the last five editions.
A Singapore player lies on the field after their 3-1 defeat to Malaysia at the AFF Suzuki Cup on Nov 29, 2014. (File photo: TODAY/Wee Teck Hian)
Hopes were high for Singapore going into the 2014 edition as defending champions, only for the Lions to be humbled in a 3-1 home loss on Nov 29, 2014, at the then-newly opened National Stadium.
Singapore required just a draw to reach the semi-finals, but it was Malaysia that opened their account first through Safee.
Khairul Amri equalised for the Lions, only for the near-50,000 fans in attendance to be stunned into silence after the referee awarded Malaysia a penalty in stoppage time which Safiq Rahim converted.
Indra Putra Mahayuddin then rolled the ball into an unguarded net after goalkeeper Hassan Sunny, who had gone up for a corner, was caught in no man's land, compounding Singapore's misery.
It was a case of two birds killed with one stone as Malaysia not only beat Singapore 4-1 in the group-stage game on Jan 3, 2023, but also progressed to semi-finals at the expense of their greatest rivals.
Singapore had gone into the match with one-point lead over Malaysia and only had to avoid defeat to qualify for the last four.
However, a brace by Stuart Wilkin, Darren Lok and Sergio Aguero gave the Tigers an insurmountable lead, while a late consolation goal from substitute Faris Ramli was all Singapore could muster.
While the Lions were shorthanded with key players like Ikhsan and Ilhan Fandi absent, the way the team capitulated under pressure prompted much criticism from local fans.
Singapore's Irfan Fandi leaps for a header against Malaysia on Jan 3, 2023. (Photo: FAS)
In what was Singapore's heaviest defeat at the SEA Games since the competition became an age-group affair, the 7-0 trouncing on May 11, 2023 led to even more soul-searching.
The Young Lions were merely playing for pride against their Causeway rivals after a goalless draw against Laos confirmed their elimination.
Malaysia, however, showed no mercy as Saravanan Thirumurugan, Haqimi Azim, Mukhairi Ajmal and Mohd Aiman all got on the scoresheet, ensuring the team's SEA Games campaign ended on a whimper.
Brickbats were directed at Bernard Tan, then acting president of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), while Singapore men’s Under-22 football head coach Philippe Aw resigned in the months following the mauling.
Singapore and Malaysia players vie for the ball in their SEA Games football match on May 11, 2023. (Photo: Football Association of Malaysia).
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Given the countries' close proximity and shared history, there is an extra edge to Causeway derbies.
But when the Lions travel to Kuala Lumpur to take on their arch-rivals in the ASEAN football championship on Friday (Dec 20), bragging rights are more than just at stake.
For Singapore, the objective ahead of their final group game at the Bukit Jalil Stadium is clear.
As long as the visitors avoid defeat, they will advance to the semi-finals for the first time since the 2020 edition,
The hosts, on the other hand, have no margin for error. Only a victory over their fiercest rivals will suffice as they bid to qualify for the last four.
Since 1958, Singapore's record against Malaysia - including friendlies - stands at 26 wins, 22 draws and 32 defeats.
Ahead of the 81st match between the Lions and Harimau Malaya, here is a look back at five of the more memorable clashes:
2014 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Aleksandar Duric celebrating a goal for Singapore against Malaysia on Jul 23, 2011. (File photo: Facebook/FAS)
Singapore prevailed across the two-legged second-round tie, but it was the first leg that caught the imagination, with the Lions winning 5-3 at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Jul 23, 2011.
The Malayan Tigers took a shock lead in the first minute through Safee Sali, only for Singapore to hit back with four unanswered goals from Aleksandar Duric, Qiu Li, Fahrudin Mustafic and Shi Jiayi.
Both sides each had a player sent off in the second half, but it was the visitors who threatened a turnaround via strikes from Safee and Abdul Yahaya, before Duric nabbed his second of the evening to help Singapore draw first blood.
The away second leg ended in a 1-1 stalemate as the Lions reached the third round of the World Cup qualifiers, before finishing bottom of their group with six losses in as many games.
2012 AFF SUZUKI CUP
Shahril Ishak celebrates after scoring against Malaysia on Nov 25, 2012. (File photo: FAS/SPORTFIVE)
The Lions stamped their ASEAN football championship credentials with a resounding 3-0 away win on Nov 25, 2012, against Malaysia.
Skipper Shahril Ishak scored a brace in the first half before Duric - at the ripe old age of 42 - added another after the interval in one of Singapore's finest football moments.
In what was Raddy Avramovic's final tournament as head coach, the Lions eventually went all the way to win the tournament, beating Thailand over a two-legged final with an aggregate of 3-2.
This remains the last time Singapore won the ASEAN football championship, with the Lions failing to progress past the group stage in four out of the last five editions.
2014 AFF SUZUKI CUP
A Singapore player lies on the field after their 3-1 defeat to Malaysia at the AFF Suzuki Cup on Nov 29, 2014. (File photo: TODAY/Wee Teck Hian)
Hopes were high for Singapore going into the 2014 edition as defending champions, only for the Lions to be humbled in a 3-1 home loss on Nov 29, 2014, at the then-newly opened National Stadium.
Singapore required just a draw to reach the semi-finals, but it was Malaysia that opened their account first through Safee.
Khairul Amri equalised for the Lions, only for the near-50,000 fans in attendance to be stunned into silence after the referee awarded Malaysia a penalty in stoppage time which Safiq Rahim converted.
Indra Putra Mahayuddin then rolled the ball into an unguarded net after goalkeeper Hassan Sunny, who had gone up for a corner, was caught in no man's land, compounding Singapore's misery.
2022 AFF MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CUP
It was a case of two birds killed with one stone as Malaysia not only beat Singapore 4-1 in the group-stage game on Jan 3, 2023, but also progressed to semi-finals at the expense of their greatest rivals.
Singapore had gone into the match with one-point lead over Malaysia and only had to avoid defeat to qualify for the last four.
However, a brace by Stuart Wilkin, Darren Lok and Sergio Aguero gave the Tigers an insurmountable lead, while a late consolation goal from substitute Faris Ramli was all Singapore could muster.
While the Lions were shorthanded with key players like Ikhsan and Ilhan Fandi absent, the way the team capitulated under pressure prompted much criticism from local fans.
Singapore's Irfan Fandi leaps for a header against Malaysia on Jan 3, 2023. (Photo: FAS)
32ND SEA GAMES
In what was Singapore's heaviest defeat at the SEA Games since the competition became an age-group affair, the 7-0 trouncing on May 11, 2023 led to even more soul-searching.
The Young Lions were merely playing for pride against their Causeway rivals after a goalless draw against Laos confirmed their elimination.
Malaysia, however, showed no mercy as Saravanan Thirumurugan, Haqimi Azim, Mukhairi Ajmal and Mohd Aiman all got on the scoresheet, ensuring the team's SEA Games campaign ended on a whimper.
Brickbats were directed at Bernard Tan, then acting president of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), while Singapore men’s Under-22 football head coach Philippe Aw resigned in the months following the mauling.
Singapore and Malaysia players vie for the ball in their SEA Games football match on May 11, 2023. (Photo: Football Association of Malaysia).
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