Phu Tho coach Mohamad Nazri was satisfied with Singapore's unyielding spirit after drawing 2-2 with stronger opponent Vietnam in the final round of Group C of the U23 Asian qualifiers.
Coach Mohamad Nazri at a press conference after Singapore's draw with Vietnam on the evening of September 12. Photo: Lam Thoa
Singapore no longer had a chance to advance, as Yemen beat Guam 5-1 in the previous match at Viet Tri Stadium. However, coach Nazri's players still played with the highest spirit to draw twice with Vietnam.
"I told my players to show fighting spirit," said coach Nazri. "We are proud of this result, because Vietnam is stronger and playing at home."
In the previous meeting, Singapore lost to Vietnam 1-3 in the group stage of SEA Games 32. The last time U23 Singapore drew with Vietnam was in a friendly match in 2010 with a score of 0-0.
Coach Nazri commented that Vietnam had good ball control and good attacks on both wings, so his team had to try to stop them. The opposite solution was to counterattack when they had a fast striker. The result was recorded in the 85th minute when Farhan Zulkifli dribbled the ball at speed and passed it to Zikos Vasileios who finished in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Van Binh, tying the score at 2-2.
Vasileios said that although he did not advance, each member gave his all against the top team in Southeast Asia. "We have no regrets," he said. "The team showed that they can compete with strong opponents like Vietnam."
Singapore finished third in Group C of the 2024 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers with two points. They had previously drawn 1-1 with Guam and lost 3-0 to Yemen. Vietnam topped the group with seven points, while Yemen finished second with one point less.
Lam Thoa
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