'That is the fuel': Gavin Lee thanks Lions fans for backing team through thick and thin

Lions head coach Gavin Lee expressed gratitude to Singapore's football fans for their steadfast support throughout the ASEAN Championship. The team's journey concluded at the semi-finals after a narrow 3-4 aggregate defeat to Thailand, despite a 2-1 victory in the second leg.

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I think we have turned a few doubters into believers, and that's nice.

Lee highlighted the fans' role in motivating the players, particularly noting their continued singing even when the team was down 3-0 in the first leg. "That is the fuel, that's the belief that we can ride on and build on," he told reporters. He emphasized that this support is crucial for the team's development as they aim for stronger competition and qualification for the Asian Cup.

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what’s so heartening is you go back to the first leg and we were down 3-0, and Satu Nada (one heartbeat) was being sung.

The coach expressed immense pride in his team's performance, believing they deserved to take the match against Thailand into extra time. "Football is cruel, over the two legs maybe we just fell short a little bit," Lee reflected. The victory on Tuesday was significant, marking Singapore's first win against Thailand since 2012, a testament to the team's progress against the highest-ranked side in the tournament.

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As players, it is just amazing because that is the fuel, that's the belief that we can ride on and build on.

Looking ahead, Lee assured that the team has a clear vision for building towards the Asian Cup. He acknowledged potential challenges but expressed confidence that the dedicated fan base would continue to back the players. "They should know that we will never give up, we never give in, we just keep trying and trying and trying as we move towards our target," he stated.

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I think we have turned a few doubters into believers, and that's nice.