JAKARTA, 25 September 2026 — Singapore’s FIFA ASEAN Cup campaign began on a bruising note as the Lions fell 2–0 to regional rivals Indonesia in their tournament opener at a packed Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium.
A first-half strike from Ragnar Oratmangoen and a late Ole Romeny penalty sealed the three points for the Garuda, on an evening where Singapore saw veteran defender Safuwan Baharudin sent off and struggled to contain the hosts’ relentless forward press in front of over 60,000 passionate home supporters.
Early Setback at the Gelora Bung Karno
Entering the cauldron of Senayan, Singapore aimed for a disciplined defensive shape to frustrate the hosts. However, Indonesia found a breakthrough inside 13 minutes.
Following crisp interplay in the final third, winger Ragnar Oratmangoen found space inside the penalty box, clinical in his finish past the Lions custodian to send the home crowd into raptures. The early 1–0 advantage allowed John Herdman's side to dictate the tempo, testing Singapore’s backline with quick diagonal switches and high-intensity counter-pressing.
Singapore sought to regroup through counter-attacks, looking to release runners behind the Indonesian defensive line, but chances remained sparse against a well-marshalled Indonesian rear-guard.
Red Card Disrupts the Lions' Fightback
The Lions came out livelier after the break following Song Ui-yong's introduction and the Korean born midfielder tested Indonesian custodian Maarten Paes from range for Singapore's first attempt on goal.
However, the mountain became far steeper for Singapore when key centre-back Safuwan Baharudin received his marching orders following review of VAR for bringing down Mitchell Lee Baker on the edge of the box while through on goal.
The experienced defender, pivotal to the Lions’ set-piece threat and backline organisation, was shown a red card following a contentious challenge that left refereeing officials with the need to review an initial yellow card turning it to red. Reduced to 10 men in the intense Jakarta humidity, Singapore faced an uphill battle for the remainder of the contest.
Singapore’s hopes of snatching an improbable equaliser were effectively extinguished in the 74th minute.
The subsequent free kick that was goal bound struck midfielder Song Ui-young on the arm as he was penalised for a handball. The referee pointed straight to the spot despite Singaporean protests.
To their credit, the Lions demonstrated grit after the restart. Reorganising into a compact low block, Singapore absorbed wave after wave of Indonesian pressure while goalkeeper and defence repelled multiple attempts to keep the deficit at a manageable single goal.
Late Penalty Seals the Contest
Striker Ole Romeny stepped up to shoulder the responsibility. The forward calmly dispatched his spot-kick, sending the keeper the wrong way to double the lead and secure a decisive 2–0 cushion for Indonesia.
From there, the Garuda managed game state with composure, keeping possession to see out a comfortable victory and collect all three points to kick off their tournament run.