Singapore’s Lions meet Malaysia in a FIFA ASEAN Cup Group A decider on Thursday, 1 October 2026, at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, with kick-off at 8.30pm Singapore time. A win puts the Lions into either the Final or the Bronze Final.
Singapore sit third in Group A on three points. They opened with a 2-0 defeat to hosts Indonesia, then beat Bangladesh 1-0 through Harhys Stewart’s 35th-minute header from Nur Adam Abdullah’s cross. Malaysia top the group on four points after a 3-0 win over Bangladesh and a 0-0 draw with Indonesia, who also have four points and play Bangladesh at the same time tonight.
Only a win guarantees Singapore a place in the Final or the Bronze Final. If Singapore win and Indonesia fail to beat Bangladesh, the Lions top the group and meet Group B winners Thailand in the Final. If both win, Singapore finish second and play the Bronze Final. Both matches are on Monday 5 October at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.
Head coach Gavin Lee is not changing the approach for Malaysia. “Nothing has changed. We go in and focus on ourselves. We identify Malaysia’s potential threats, try to neutralise them and put ourselves in a position to be successful,” he said. “Regardless of opposition, we don’t change our mentality or our approach. We approach every single game with the intent to play well and win.”
Arif Aiman scored twice in Malaysia’s win over Bangladesh and Bergson added the third. “The obvious one everyone will talk about is Arif Aiman. We all know his ability and the level he can play at,” said Lee. “They’ve also got Bergson now, who adds quality up front. At the back, they’ve added Brad Tapp, who has formed a good partnership with Dion Cools. Dion is playing at a very high level in the J1 League, so they’re quite stable in defence as well.”
“There are a few things we need to keep an eye out for, but ultimately, it’s about focusing on ourselves first before we look at them,” he said.
Experienced centre-back Safuwan Baharudin is available again. His red card against Indonesia brought a one-match suspension that kept him out of the Bangladesh win.
The match is live on mewatch’s FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 channels (Live 5 and 6).
