Singapore and Malaysia Resume 2022 World Cup Qualifying
As the 2019 World Cup qualifiers progressed, Singapore proved to be a formidable opponent. They are in third place in the group behind leaders Saudi Arabia (11 points) and Uzbekistan (9 points), thanks to two victories over Yemen and Palestine (7 points total).
We know most of you are already set for the 2022 World Cup, but for now, let’s take a look back at what happened.
Singapore 2022 World Cup Qualifying
After an extended absence of more than 18 months, Singapore finally played a World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying match on Thursday (Jun 3), losing 4-0 to Palestine. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic having caused a significant delay, the 2nd round of concurrent contention for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, as well as the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in China, has commenced.
At the King Fahd International Stadium, Palestine jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first half, forcing Tatsuma Yoshida, the head coach for Singapore, to make two substitutions at halftime. Although he acknowledged that his match calls had not gone as planned.
Two penalties from Tamer Seyam and one from Oday Dabbagh made up the 3 goals that Palestine scored in a span of around 10 minutes. In the dying minutes of the game, Yaser Hamed scored the last goal. As a result, Palestine now sits atop Group D, ahead of Singapore thanks to their superior goal differential despite playing one fewer game.
Ilhan Fandi and Saifullah Akbar both made their first appearances for their respective national teams, while Lions veteran Baihakki Khaizan reached his 138th cap, moving him into a tie for second place on Singapore's all-time list of most capped players.
After six matches, the Lions have a fourth-place standing among the five clubs in Group D. We all know how this turned out at the most recent betting odds in World Cup 2022.
Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and more
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in October 2019, Singapore's qualifying for Qatar 2022 and China 2023 was halted after just five games and seven points.
Also, Australia defeated Kuwait 3-0, Iran defeated Hong Kong 3-1, and the UAE defeated Malaysia 4-0 in the Asian qualification. Bahrain defeated Cambodia 8-0 and Nepal defeated Taiwan 2-0, while Qatar, as hosts, narrowly defeated India 1-0. Bangladesh and Afghanistan tied 1-1, and Thailand and Indonesia drew 2-2.
