Asian Cup 'milestone' belongs to all of Singapore, say matchwinner Ilhan Fandi and Gavin Lee

SINGAPORE: He was limping through the mixed zone and aided by a crutch, but there was no mistaking the broad smile on Ilhan Fandi's face.

On the pitch for less than 30 minutes, the second-half substitute played a pivotal role in sending the Lions through to the Asian Cup on a historic night at Kai Tak Stadium on Tuesday (Nov 18).

First, a beautiful assist over to the top to find Shawal Anuar for Singapore's equaliser. And then, the piece de resistance, a sharp finish arrowed into the back of the Hong Kong net.

The 23-year-old was later forced off through injury, but his teammates fought valiantly to finish the job with a 2-1 win.

This marks the first time the Lions have qualified for the Asian Cup on merit. Singapore's only appearance came in 1984, when they took part automatically as hosts.

"I'm just so happy that Singapore can qualify for the Asian Cup. Everyone that was involved gave their all, I'm just a player, I just try and do my job," Ilhan told reporters.

"To everyone back home, this one is for you. It's been a long journey, it's something the whole country can be proud of and I'm just very proud to be Singaporean."

The alarm bells were jangling for Singapore's supporters after an early Matt Orr goal put Hong Kong in the driver's seat for automatic Asian Cup qualification.

"We went 1-0 down and he said stick to the game plan ... don't lose focus. He believed in us and we also believed in him," said Ilhan on interim head coach Gavin Lee's dressing room speech at half-time.

"We had a plan and before the game and leading up (to it), we had been speaking that football is not perfect, like life," added Lee at a post-match press conference.

"If s*** hits the fan ... it's our job just to react and deal with it. As long