Singapore beat Thailand 2-1 in the second leg of the ASEAN Championship semi-finals at Rajamangala Stadium on August 18, 2026, but fell short on aggregate, losing 4-3 after a 1-3 defeat in the first leg on August 15 at Jalan Besar Stadium [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Singapore made four changes to their starting lineup for the match, with Ryhan Stewart, Song Ui-young, Farhan Zulkifli and Ilhan Fandi replacing Lionel Tan, Irfan Fandi, Glenn Kweh and Shawal Anuar. Thailand also rotated six starters for their second leg squad [1, 3, 4, 5].
The game was played on a waterlogged pitch following an afternoon downpour, which affected ball control and passing for both teams [1, 3, 4, 5].
Singapore took the lead just before halftime with a long-range goal from Harhys Stewart. Thailand's Kakana Khamyok equalized with a second-half penalty, but later an own goal by Thailand's Pansa Hemviboon gave Singapore a 2-1 lead on the night [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Despite the win, Singapore could not overturn the two-goal deficit from the first leg to reach the final. They had not beaten Thailand in around 14 years before this game [1, 2]. Singapore's captain Hariss Harun praised his team for their fighting spirit, saying, "We gave it our all, but it wasn’t enough. After the first goal we could smell it (a comeback). Conceding one goal didn’t help, but we stuck to it and kept pushing" [3].
Coach Gavin Lee expressed pride in the squad's effort, stating, "We wanted to allow our performances to determine the destination. I thought we were at least going to extra time but football’s a cruel game and we just fell short. It was still very good to see the spirit in the team and there are so many positives that we can take away from this competition" [3].
Thailand coach Anthony Hudson described Singapore as a much-improved team and said, "I’m proud of the players for getting into the final. It’s a big achievement for a young and mixed group. But I’m disappointed with the performance tonight. Singapore are a very difficult team to play against... We probably did enough to get a draw but there’s a lot of things we need to fix from this game" [3].
The match drew 10,802 spectators, including about 100 Singapore supporters in an unsheltered section of the stadium [3].
Singapore is currently ranked 148th in the world, while Thailand holds 94th in the FIFA rankings [1, 3, 5]. The ASEAN Championship final is expected to be contested between Thailand and Vietnam, with the first leg scheduled for August 22 and the second leg on August 26 [1, 3, 4, 5].
