Singapore's brave run at the ASEAN Championship is over after a 5-1 aggregate loss to Vietnam in the semifinals.

Singapore has not reached an ASEAN Championship final since 2012. Singapore's Hariss Harun chases down Vietnam's Nguyen Hoang Duc in the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Championship semi-final at Phu Tho stadium in Vietnam, Dec 29, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Matthew Mohan)

Vietnam triumphed 3-1 over Singapore in the second leg of ASEAN Cup semifinals on Sunday and entered the final thanks to goals from Nguyen Xuan Son and Nguyen Tien Linh.

In the quiet Phu Tho province, 80km north-west of Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, lies the Xuan Son National Park, where locals and tourists ascend several hiking paths which lead to mountains and caves.

Only 70 tickets were allowed to be sold to Vietnamese supporters for the first match between the Vietnam and Singapore national football teams at the 6,000-seat Jalan Besar Stadium, but all 70 supporters saw Vietnam take the advantage in the ASEAN Cup semis with a 2-0 win.

SINGAPORE: For 90 minutes, the Lions went toe to toe with regional heavyweights Vietnam, buoyed by the support of a vociferous sea of red at the Jalan Besar Stadium. But two late goals in the depths o

Xuan Son Nguyen continued his red-hot form in the ASEAN Championship when he scored in Vietnam’s 2-0 win against Singapore in their semifinal first-leg on Thursday.

The Lions reached the semi-finals after finishing second in Group A with wins over Cambodia (2-1 at the National Stadium) and Timor-Leste (3-0 in Hanoi), a valiant defeat by defending champions Thailand (4-2 at the National Stadium) and a battling draw in Malaysia (0-0 in Bukit Jalil).

Vietnam pulled off a convincing 2-0 victory against Singapore in stoppage time with a penalty by striker Tien Linh, and a goal doubling the score by naturalized striker of Brazilian origin Nguyen Xuan Son in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 semi-final at Jalan Besar Stadium in the island-city state on December 26 evening.