Singapore wrap up Asian Cup qualifying campaign with 6-2 thumping of Myanmar

SINGAPORE: With only pride to play for in the final match of their 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign on Tuesday (Jun 14), Singapore recorded an emphatic 6-2 victory against Myanmar on the back of Ikhsan Fandi’s first international hat-trick.

Singapore had already dropped out of contention for the finals after narrow losses to Group F hosts Kyrgyzstan (2-1 on Jun 8) and their neighbours Tajikistan (1-0 on Jun 11), but the Lions ensured that they would not return from Central Asia empty-handed after a dominant display against also eliminated Myanmar.

Ikhsan wasted little time at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek as he put Singapore ahead in the ninth minute with a bullet header off a Gabriel Quak cross.

Song Ui-young then put Takayuki Nishigaya’s side 2-0 up seven minutes later with a low shot from well outside the box that sneaked into the Myanmar goal off the post.

Just before half-time, Singapore were 3-0 up, with Quak finishing off a counterattack after a neat one-two with Ikhsan.

Myanmar threatened to stage a comeback at the start of the second half with Win Naing Tun and Aung Kaung Mann scoring either side of Ikhsan’s second goal to make it 4-2. But Ikhsan slammed the door shut in the 69th minute with a clinical left-footed finish off an incisive lofted pass from Faris Ramli.

Hafiz Nor rounded out the scoring with a well-struck volley off a Nur Adam cross in the 89th minute to ensure that Singapore’s adventure in the Kyrgyz capital concluded with three points.

In Group B earlier on Tuesday, Palestine secured their place in the finals with a 4-0 win over the Philippines in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar.

With the winners of the six qualifying groups and the five best second-placed teams going through to the