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Fandi is Singapore’s top scorer in the tournament with four goals, leveling Thailand’s Teerasak Poeiphimai and just one behind Vietnam’s Nguyen Dinh Bac.

His most recent goal came late in the first-leg loss to Thailand at Jalan Besar Stadium on Aug. 15. That crucial strike kept his team’s hopes alive for the return leg at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Monday, Fandi affirmed that Singapore are a group of warriors and are ready to fight with everything they have, whether the match lasts 90 or 120 minutes.

“What is life without challenges? We love a challenge,” Fandi said. “You can’t lose motivation even if you’re trailing by two goals. If you don’t believe you can make a comeback against Thailand, you might as well stay home.”

Fandi also noted that the fans provide additional motivation, as he aims to redeem and deliver a performance worthy of the support they have received throughout the campaign.

Head coach Gavin Lee does not want his players to focus too heavily on the overall result, warning that this could create unnecessary tension on the pitch.

With 90 minutes left to play away from home, he believes anything can happen, like how his team once scored two goals in just three minutes to defeat Hong Kong 2-1 in the 2027 Asian Cup final qualifiers.

Singapore will also welcome back South Korean-born midfielder Song Ui-young following his suspension,

Lee stated that Singapore have never played defensively whether facing Thailand, Vietnam, or China. He insists the team use specific, adaptable tactics suited to different phases of the game.

In the first leg of the semifinal, Singapore’s lack of concentration and inferior individual quality were exposed by Thailand. However, they surprised everyone by holding 72% possession.

“The question is, why did Singapore concede so many goals despite having so much possession?” Gavin added. “We need to find the answer ourselves so we can improve our defense and create more scoring chances.”

Thailand remain a difficult challenge for Singapore. They have lost their last 11 consecutive encounters with the War Elephants, a streak dating all the way back to December 2012.

The ASEAN Cup has never seen a team stage a successful comeback after losing the first leg by a two-goal margin.

Across 33 semifinal and final ties between 2004 and 2024, a team that lost the first leg have only managed to make a comeback and win on five occasions.

The clash will kick off at 8 p.m. (Hanoi time) and will be reported live on Read International.