Hanoi, 30 July 2026 – Singapore head coach Gavin Lee has insisted his side will play for all three points rather than settle for a draw when they face defending champions Vietnam in a crucial ASEAN Cup 2026 Group A clash at My Dinh National Stadium.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Lee acknowledged that Vietnam are one of the strongest teams in Southeast Asia and admitted that playing away in Hanoi would be a formidable challenge. However, he stressed that Singapore’s objective remains unchanged—winning the match.
Historically, Singapore have struggled against Vietnam, going 16 consecutive meetings without a victory over the Golden Star Warriors across the past 28 years. Their last triumph came in the 1998 Tiger Cup final, when they edged Vietnam 1-0 to lift the regional title.
Despite that long drought, Lee believes his players have every reason to approach the contest with confidence.
“I won’t change our mindset or our approach to the game,” Lee said. “Singapore always plays to win. We want to produce our best performance in every match and fight for all three points. We’ve had positive results in our first two games, and based on the potential of this squad, I believe we are capable of beating Vietnam.”
Singapore currently sit atop Group A after victories over Cambodia and Timor-Leste, but Lee views Friday’s showdown as a much tougher examination of his team’s progress and long-term ambitions.
He also emphasized that Vietnam represent a completely different level of opposition compared to Singapore’s previous two opponents, noting the defending champions have become an even stronger side in recent years.
“Vietnam have outstanding attacking players such as Quang Hai, Dinh Bac, Nguyen Xuan Son, and Hoang Hen,” Lee said. “But their strength doesn’t come from just a few individuals. They are a well-balanced team with an excellent coach. That’s why we have to prepare to face the entire team rather than focus on stopping only a handful of players.”
The highly anticipated Group A encounter between Vietnam and Singapore is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 p.m. local time on July 31 at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi. A victory for either side would represent a major step toward securing a place in the ASEAN Cup 2026 knockout stage.
VSN/RPT
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