Singapore vs Malaysia World Cup Qualifier

Singapore vs Malaysia World Cup Qualifier

Singapore beat Malaysia 5-3 in their Asian Zone World Cup Qualifier at the packed 6,000-seater Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday night.

It was the highest scoring match between the teams in recent history.

The second-leg is on Thursday at the 85,000 capacity Bukit Jalil stadium in Malaysia.

But sadly only 358 tickets out of the 2,000 allotted to Singapore have been sold. Ticket sales which started on July 20 ended on Sunday.

A spokesperson for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said there could be some Singaporeans who might travel to Malaysia and purchase tickets at the stadium.

Metres away from the ticketing counter at Jalan Besar Stadium, a temporary stand has been set up, selling tickets and tour packages, which includes transport and lodging.

The operator has some 260 orders so far, and offers a reason for the slow response.

"This game play (is) on a weekday (and) there is a big problem, like children have to go school, so they (parents) have to arrange for somebody to send the children to the school and that kind of thing. But if it is played on a weekend, it's fine for more Singaporeans to join the package and to support the national team," said Akbar Hashim, organiser and project coordinator for Singapore Die-Hard Fans.

Akbar added that Singaporeans generally like to get their tickets at the last minute, so he's confident to sell his entire lot of 300 tickets over the next few days.

Despite the weekday issue, one ardent supporter is opting to bring his entire family - including wife, three kids and three brothers - for the experience.

"I have been supporting them since I was young; since Mokhtar Dahari that time, I go with my father. So I think yesterday was one of the best team, that I've ever watched them play," said Singapore football fan Muhammad Azman.

The fact that the match is being shown 'live' on TV could be another factor for fans reluctant to travel north to root for the team.

And many in the fraternity expect a tougher game for the Lions in Malaysia.

"Though they have scored five goals, they conceded three goals at the back because of silly mistakes. And because of the silly mistake, Malaysia will have an advantage with the away goals in the second leg," said Dinesh Nedumaran, who plays for the Home United FC U-16 Team.