Singapore keep SEA Games hopes alive after 1-0 win over Cambodia

HANOI: A tough-tackling midfielder in his heyday, Young Lions head coach Nazri Nasir is no stranger to a battle.

And he had a straightforward message for his charges prior to a must-win Group B fixture with Cambodia on Wednesday.

Fight. For themselves, for the country and for everybody back home.

"(I wanted them to have) a never-say-die attitude. We go for every ball, challenge for every ball, tackle (for) every ball," he told reporters at a post-match press conference.

"I told them not to throw the towel away, we are still going to fight, we are not going to raise the white flag."

And on Wednesday (May 11), his team responded by keeping their flagging hopes of a SEA Games medal alive after a 1-0 victory over Cambodia in a must-win game.

“They showed a lot of character today. They didn’t give up and were hungry to get the result, focused for 90 minutes,” said Nazri.

After a 2-2 draw with Laos and a 5-0 trouncing by Thailand in their first two games, the Young Lions were feeling the heat.

And despite head coach Nazri ringing in a number of changes, Cambodia, who had beaten Laos 4-1, had the upper hand early on.

But in front of a near 12,000-strong crowd, it was Singapore who almost found themselves a goal up in the 17th minute.

An Irfan Najeeb through ball found Glenn Kweh, who cut in from the right but his shot was saved by Cambodian goalkeeper Hul Kimhuy. From the rebound, Nicky Melvin Singh fired wide.

Cambodia came closer minutes later as they countered superbly after a Singapore corner. Sieng Chanthea beat a number of defenders but could not apply the finishing touch with just Zaiful Nizam to beat.

On an attacking foray soon after, defender Nur Adam Abdullah would fire in a low drive that was pushed wide by Kimhuy.

Singapore then