'A serious rivalry': An ASEAN Championship semis spot on the line as Singapore face Malaysia

SINGAPORE: It is a game which has always had that added spice and the same will be the case on Friday (Dec 20) as Singapore face Malaysia at the Bukit Jalil stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

And there will be more than just bragging rights at stake for the Causeway neighbours, for this time a spot in the ASEAN Championship semi-finals is on the line.

A win or a draw against Malaysia will be enough for Singapore to progress.

A Malaysian victory, coupled with a Cambodian loss or draw with Thailand will see the Harimau Malaya book their spot in the semis.

If Cambodia beat Thailand, the second spot in the group will come down to goal difference as Malaysia and Cambodia drew 2-2 in Phnom Penh earlier in the competition.

The tournament format dictates teams level on points are first differentiated by their head-to-head record, followed by goal difference. 

“I have faced Malaysia a couple of times both home and away and the rivalry we share is indeed something special," said Lions' skipper Hariss Harun at a pre-match press conference on Thursday (Dec 19).

"We also have other players in the squad who have played in these matches like Safuwan (Baharudin), Izwan (Mahbud), and Shahdan (Sulaiman), so we are able to help the younger ones realise the importance of this occasion.” 

Tsutomu Ogura's Singapore side began their campaign last Wednesday with a 2-1 win over Cambodia at the National Stadium.

A pair of first-half goals from Faris Ramli and Shawal Anuar gave Singapore three points against the plucky away side, who had outplayed the Lions for most of the game.

They then left it late to beat Timor-Leste 3-0 at the Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi, with a penalty from Kyoga Nakamura and second half double from Shawal sealing the win.

Former sports