After victories over Cambodia (2-1) and Timor-Leste (2-0), Singapore lead Group A with six points. Vietnam are second with three points but have played only one game, opening their campaign with a 7-0 win over Timor-Leste.
Speaking at a press conference on July 30, one day before the clash with Vietnam, Lee acknowledged that Vietnam present a much tougher challenge than Singapore’s previous opponents but said his side is looking forward to the match at My Dinh Stadium.
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Singapore’s coach Gavin Lee at a press conference ahead of his side’s Group A match with Vietnam at the 2026 ASEAN Cup, Hanoi, July 30, 2026. Photo by Read/Hieu Luong |
“Facing Vietnam presents a completely different set of challenges,” Lee said. “We will draw on the experience from our training camp in Okinawa, Japan, to put our best performance on the pitch. The lessons we learned about dealing with pressure against Japanese teams have been valuable.”
Although Singapore entered the tournament as favorites against both Cambodia and Timor-Leste, they needed a stoppage-time winner to beat Cambodia and secured only a 2-0 victory over Timor-Leste.
When asked about his team’s lack of pace ahead of the Vietnam match, Lee responded with a joke.
“Unless we inject the players with steroids or something similar, we aren’t going to improve our speed overnight,” he said. “The players need to make better decisions with their timing and movement to compensate for that.”
Singapore have beaten Vietnam four times, besides nine draws and nine defeats in previous meetings. In their last five encounters, Singapore have drawn twice and lost three times, including a 5-1 aggregate defeat in the semifinals of the 2024 ASEAN Cup.
Lee said Vietnam have become stronger with the addition of several naturalized players, including Brazilian-born forwards Do Hoang Hen and Nguyen Tai Loc.
“They not only have Quang Hai but also quality players in every position,” he said. “Tomorrow night won’t be easy for us. Our job is to stay confident and keep moving toward our objective.”
A victory would send Singapore to nine points and secure a place in the semifinals.
Lee said the tournament also serves as part of the team’s preparations for the 2027 Asian Cup.
He added that Singapore’s success will depend on collective play in both defense and attack, while praising veteran goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud for his leadership.
“Izwan has excellent hands and is also comfortable with the ball at his feet,” Lee said. “More importantly, he has a strong mentality and hates losing. He pushes his teammates to give everything and sets a good example for the younger players.”
Singapore will play Vietnam at My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, from 8 p.m. July 31. The game will be reported live on Read International.