FIFA ASEAN Cup: Malaysia Demolishes Singapore 6-0 But Misses Out Final
Malaysia were forced to settle for Group A runners-up in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 despite producing their most emphatic performance of the tournament, thrashing Singapore 6-0 in their final group fixture in Bandung—a result that ultimately proved insufficient to overhaul Indonesia at the top of the table.
Harimau Malaya knew only a win would guarantee their place as group winners, and Tan Cheng Hoe's side delivered in devastating fashion. However, their fate rested on events elsewhere, as Malaysia also needed Bangladesh to upset tournament hosts Indonesia in the concurrent fixture to seal top spot.
Cheng Hoe made two changes to his starting lineup, bringing in Fergus Tierney and Daniel Ting in place of the injured Faisal Halim and La'Vere Corbin Ong. Singapore, meanwhile, welcomed back defender Safuwan Baharudin, who returned to bolster the Lions' backline after serving a one-match suspension.
Singapore's night began disastrously when referee Kim Jong-hyeok awarded Malaysia a penalty just minutes into the match, after VAR review detected a reckless challenge by a Singapore player on Tierney inside the box.
Johor Darul Ta'zim forward Bergson da Silva stepped up and coolly dispatched the spot-kick past goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud to give Malaysia the lead in the eighth minute, setting the tone for what would become a one-sided contest.
Shaken by the early setback, Gavin Lee's Young Lions attempted to respond and find a way back into the match. Instead, their goal was breached for a second time in the 26th minute. Manuel Hidalgo threaded a pass through Singapore's defense that Stuart Wilkin coolly finished past Izwan to extend Malaysia's advantage to 2-0.
Singapore pushed for a response before the interval, but the scoreline remained unchanged at 2-0 as both sides headed into the break.
Singapore came out searching for a way back into the contest after the restart, testing Malaysian goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi Mohamed, but found no breakthrough. The failure to capitalize prompted Lee to introduce Jacob Mahler and Farhan Zulkifli in an attempt to shift the momentum of the match.
The substitutions did little to stem the tide, however, as Singapore's goal was breached for a third time in the 62nd minute, with Bergson completing his brace and extending Malaysia's lead to 3-0.
With a comfortable cushion secured, Cheng Hoe handed a first appearance to JDT midfielder Nathaniel Shio Hong Wan, who replaced Wilkin in the 75th minute. Singapore's misery deepened almost immediately when substitute Paulo Josue unleashed a powerful strike that beat Izwan in the 76th minute, making it 4-0.
Malaysia continued to pour forward in search of a statement result, with fellow substitute Syahir Bashah netting a fifth goal in the 87th minute. Bergson then completed a sensational hat-trick in the final minute of the match, rounding off a 6-0 demolition and a remarkable individual performance for the JDT forward.
Despite the emphatic scoreline, Malaysia's six-goal haul was not enough to secure top spot in Group A. Indonesia simultaneously thrashed Bangladesh 9-2 in the other group fixture, a result that gave the tournament hosts a superior goal difference and confirmed their position atop the table, relegating Malaysia to the runners-up position.
Harimau Malaya's runner-up finish means they now await the final standings from Group B to determine their opponent in the third-place playoff, with only the group winners advancing directly to the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 final at Gelora Bung Karno on October 5.
Credit Photo : FAM
