IN FOCUS: The Lions took Singapore to the Asian Cup – now comes the hard part

SINGAPORE: It was a result that reverberated across the island – for all the right reasons.

At watch parties in Our Tampines Hub and Bishan Community Club, fans erupted as the Lions clawed back from the brink – first with a Shawal Anuar equaliser, then a dramatic Ilhan Fandi winner minutes later.

Thousands of kilometres away in the rafters of Hong Kong's Kai Tak Stadium, a defiant band of away fans roared Singapore to a historic win. The Lions had qualified on merit for the Asian Cup for the first time.

When the full-time whistle blew, tears streamed down faces, including that of 49-year-old Alvin Tan. 

"It was a huge sense of relief that finally we did it somehow," said Mr Tan, a member of the Lions' die-hard supporters club SingaBrigade. "(I cried) for a good 15 minutes." 

For Mr Tan, who has backed the Lions for a decade, the win felt like a personal triumph.

"At that point of time I was enjoying the moment. But the next day I started thinking about what's next. How are we going to keep the momentum going?"

Mr Tan, a senior advisor for trade associations, has cheered the Singapore squad in the good times and the bad. He has seen it all before – big wins followed by crushing defeats, or momentum that fizzles out into disappointment.

Now, after a deserved homecoming and the timely appointment of Gavin Lee as permanent head coach, players, coaches, analysts and fans like Mr Tan say the real work begins.

Football Association of Singapore (FAS) deputy president Desmond Ong said this is "more than just a moment of celebration".

"It’s an opportunity to inspire a new generation of players, attract more supporters to our domestic league, and showcase Singapore football on a regional stage. The energy around the national team now