Sports Minutes: 2 wins from 2, but will points over performance come back to haunt Singapore?

**SPEAKER_1** (0:01)
Sports Minutes with Zia-ul Raushan on MoneyFM 89.3.

**Zia-ul Raushan** (0:05)
MoneyFM 89.3 is time for Sports Minutes with me, Zia-ul Raushan, coming to you from Jalan Besar Stadium, alongside the one and only Deepanraj Ganesan. We watch that match together, Singapore 2, Timah Leste, Neil. What do you think about the performance?

**Deepanraj Ganesan** (0:18)
Yeah, I think similar to the Cambodia game, where you cherish these three points.
I don't think you can take any team for granted in this ASEAN level anymore. And I think in terms of performance, of course, it can be better, but three points is all you crave for at this stage. And the first two games, we all wanted maximum points, and we've got maximum points now. I know we can go to lengths discussing what can be better, what can be improved, but in terms of factual stuff, in terms of what we see on the table, numbers-wise, six points, we've got the objective done now. Now it's to look ahead, and I'm sure we'll talk about that in terms of what's ahead. Bigger test, as you mentioned in your question, to Gavin during the press con, definitely bigger test, tougher test, and we have to step up for those tests.

**Zia-ul Raushan** (1:01)
We'll take a deep dive into what's ahead in a short while, but first you talk about maximum points. Maximum impact by a certain Ilhan Fandi came into the tournament as Singapore's poster boy, Singapore's star boy, right? He's lived up to the billing. How happy are you to see that? And are you at all surprised that he's rose to the occasion the way he has?

**Deepanraj Ganesan** (1:18)
Not surprised. I think pre-tournament as he sealed his move to the Lion City Sailors, you knew that this is where he belongs, right? In terms of the top caliber clubs in Southeast Asia. And I think Ilhan has stepped very nicely into the sort of void, if you want to say, left by Iksan Fandi and his absence.
I think he gives us a very good, different kind of option to Shawal up front. Because Ilhan is a player that you can put up front and he can hold the ball for you. He can, you know, make one touch, two touch. It's a bit different from Shawal who you expect to go beyond the defensive line. And I think what's great about Ilhan, he's taken his chances very well.
In terms of goals, scored two, but also two that were disallowed. And those two goals, not easiest as well, right? So I think he's given Singapore what they needed because when we had Iksan missing, I thought that was going to be quite a problem for us because of the fact that Iksan is our leading man. He gets crucial goals, but as Ilhan has shown, come with the hour, come with the man.

**Zia-ul Raushan** (2:14)
Yeah, come with the hour, come with the man. We had a wry smile when we talked about the disallowed goals in the post-match press conference. Ilhan also mentioned the rest of his teammates in terms of getting six points on two games. Here's what Ilhan had to say in the post-match press conference.

**Ilhan Fandi** (2:27)
I think it's the fighting spirit in us that always, whenever things don't go our way, we try and stay in the game. And I think that helped us a lot. And credit to the fans as well, they pushed us on and we knew that the goal was going to come and thankfully it did. I'm just really happy to get that goal as well.

**SPEAKER_5** (2:44)
And you almost look happier for Song's goal than your own.

**Ilhan Fandi** (2:48)
Yeah, of course, we are a team at the end of the day. It's not just two players or myself playing. And it's always nice to have someone score as well. And yeah, just something that we worked on in training. And yeah, I'm very close to Song as well. It's very nice to have him score as well. And hopefully more players will get on the score sheet. And yeah, at the end of the day, it's a great team performance and much more to be improved. But yeah, we look forward to a Vietnam game.

**Zia-ul Raushan** (3:11)
One goal off the bench, one goal starting. If you can convince the man beside you, what would you want him to do against Vietnam?

**Ilhan Fandi** (3:17)
For me, every time I say whether I start or I come off the bench, I'm going to give 100%. He made a decision for me to start and for Zia-ul to come on. But yeah, we are a team at the end of the day. For me, it doesn't matter. I just want to help the team as much as possible. And it's just not me today. I think many players put out a good performance. Harris and Irfan at the back were solid.