Singapore. Host Singapore limped out of the Southeast Asian Games football tournament on Thursday after slumping to a 1-0 loss to Indonesia, who completed the semifinal lineup.

Midfielder Evan Dimas scored the only goal in the 46th minute as the country banned by world governing body FIFA last month for government interference in its football association kept up its bid for a first football gold since 1991.

The under-23 side was only allowed to compete in Singapore as the ban had come after the tournament had started.

Singapore needed to win the fixture to leapfrog its opponent and finish second in the pool behind already qualified Myanmar, but its long-ball game plan was easily nullified on the Astroturf at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The host’s slim hopes were all but ended when left-back Ho Wai Loon was shown a second yellow card in the 65th minute for a mistimed challenge.

Indonesia next faces hot favorite Thailand in the last four at the 55,000-seat National Stadium on Saturday after Myanmar takes on Vietnam earlier in the day at the same venue.

The Thais have won nine of the last 11 football golds at the biennial games for the 11-nation bloc and breezed through Group B with five wins from five after beating Vietnam 3-1 in the battle for top spot on Wednesday.

Reuters

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Source: The Jakarta Globe