Singapore U19 vs Brunei U19

Singapore U19 signed off from the ASEAN U19 Boys' Championship 2026 with their first and only win of the tournament, dismantling Brunei U19 4-0 at Stadion Teladan in Medan on 8 June. Four different scorers — Rae Peh, Uchenna Eziakor, Andy Reefqy and Liska Haaziq — shared the goals as the Young Lions roared to life after two chastening defeats.

Already eliminated from semi-final contention after losses to Malaysia (0-3) and Thailand (0-4) on 2 and 5 June respectively, Singapore entered the final Group B fixture determined to end their campaign on a positive note. Head Coach Syed Azmir's side dominated possession from the outset and steadily cranked up the pressure on a Brunei defence that had conceded four in each of their previous two group games.

The breakthrough arrived three minutes before half-time. Rae Peh collected the ball inside the box and drilled a left-footed strike past the Brunei goalkeeper to make it 1-0 in the 41st minute.

Singapore doubled their lead almost immediately. Just two minutes later, in the 44th minute, Uchenna Eziakor found the net to send the Young Lions into the interval with a commanding 2-0 advantage.

The second half followed the same pattern. Captain Andy Reefqy extended the lead in the 50th minute to make it 3-0. Liska Haaziq completed the scoring in the 64th minute, rounding off a four-goal performance that reflected the gulf in quality between the sides.

Peh's 41st-minute opener was the defining moment. Before that goal, Singapore had controlled possession but lacked the final incision that had eluded them against Malaysia and Thailand. The deadlock-breaker, arriving just before half-time, fundamentally altered the dynamic — Brunei could no longer sit deep and hope for a point, and Singapore exploited the spaces that opened up with three further goals in the space of 23 minutes.

Andy Reefqy (Singapore U19) — The captain scored Singapore's third goal and led by example throughout, orchestrating play from midfield and providing the link between defence and attack. His performance was a fitting end to a tournament in which he was one of the team's most consistent players.

Rae Peh (Singapore U19) — His well-taken left-footed finish in the 41st minute broke the deadlock at a crucial moment and set the tone for the second-half rout.

Uchenna Eziakor (Singapore U19) — The forward's goal just before the break effectively killed the contest as a contest. His movement and energy caused Brunei's defence problems all afternoon.

Singapore's four goals came from four different scorers, underscoring the variety of their attacking threats. The two-goal burst in first-half stoppage time (41' and 44') was decisive — it turned a nervy contest into a comfortable one before the interval. The absence of any cards in the fixture suggests a disciplined, one-sided encounter rather than a fractious battle. For context, Singapore had managed zero goals across their first two matches against Malaysia and Thailand, making this a dramatic improvement in front of goal.

The victory lifted Singapore to third place in Group B with three points from three matches (1W-2L), above Brunei who finished bottom without a point. Malaysia and Thailand advanced to the semi-finals from the group. For Singapore, attentions now turn to the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers later this year, with the tournament in Medan providing valuable preparation and benchmarking for a young squad that included nine players aged 17 and under.

A convincing win that gave Singapore's tournament a respectable finish, but the real picture — two heavy defeats to Malaysia and Thailand — showed the gap they still need to bridge. The attacking fluency that emerged against Brunei will be the foundation to build on ahead of the AFC qualifiers.