Three Singapore players to watch out for against India

Singapore will lock horns with India in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

India are hoping to get their first win in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers when they face a determined Singapore side on Thursday. However, the Blue Tigers are guaranteed to come up in what should be a feisty battle, with the Lions determined to get a big win to bolster their chances of winning the qualification group.

Even though Khalid Jamil has travelled with a relatively strong squad, Singapore have their own trump cards to play against India. Gavin Lee has some really promising talents in his squad, including some menacing players who can prove to be game-changers for the hosts.

Although India will have to play as a whole team that looks to neutralize the threat of the entire Singapore unit, there are certain players in the Lions’ team that will probably need special attention. These players can change the complexion of the result with their impactful nature and take the game away from India. Here, we look at the three Singapore players to watch out for in the upcoming Asian Cup qualifier.

3. Ilhan Fandi

Ilhan Fandi appears to be establishing himself as a promising up-and-coming star in the Singapore football scene. He has gained quite a prominent role on the Singapore side under Gavin Lee, who appears to admire the work ethic and unpredictability of the Buriram United forward.

Fandi excels in the centre-forward role and can play in a variety of positions in the frontline, which makes him quite a dangerous threat. He has scored goals in Singapore’s last two matches against Myanmar and Malaysia.

The 22-year-old forward will now look to torment the Indian forwards with his spirited nature in the key attacking areas. Fandi will make smart darting runs in the opposition half to confuse the Indian defenders and try to stretch their backline. He will, of course, also be tasked to get into key empty areas in the box and get to the end of chances to enhance Singapore’s threat in the opposition box.

Also Read: Singapore vs India lineups, team news, prediction & preview | AFC Asian Cup qualifiers

2. Song Ui-young

The South Korea-born midfielder has become an important part of the Singapore national team after receiving a Singaporean passport in 2021. Song has been performing impressively in the Singapore football scene over the last few years and has two goal contributions (one goal, one assists) in six games for the Lion City Sailors in the 2025-26 season. He has even played in two AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) matches this season and is heading into the international break with some decent momentum behind him.

Song will look to control the midfield battle for Singaproe with his technical qualities and ability to be a controller in the midfield. He will look to use his varied passing qualities to move the ball forward quickly and send his teammates through on goal on the counter-attacks.

Ui-young will need to be at his proactive and commanding best in terms of winning the ball in key areas and releasing his teammates through for Singapore to gain their grip on this match and make it tough for India to handle the pressure.

1. Ikhsan Fandi

The golden boy of the Singapore national team right now, Ikhsan Fandi, also remains their biggest attacking threat in the upcoming games against India. Fandi has already made an impressive impact in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers so far, having scored the winning goal for his side in the win over Bangladesh in June.

The elder brother of Illan Fandi is a real menace in the opposition area because of his clever playing style. Fandi has a lot of variety in his attacking style, being able to drag defenders out of position with his smart movement and also initiate attacks with his clever link-up play.

However, what Ikhsan will be particularly determined to do against India is to finish off the chances. He will be urged to move past the marker of the centre-backs and find the ball in empty spaces in promising areas before finishing them off. Singapore will be quite reliant on Fandi’s ruthlessness to be able to get a big win and take control of their group in the Asian Cup qualifiers.

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