Singapore: Fandi Ahmad has claimed Singapore’s AFF Suzuki Cup Group B clash with Timor-Leste on Wednesday is “do-or-die” as the Lions target the three points that would maintain their hopes of advancing to the semi-finals.

Singapore began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Indonesia before suffering defeat by the same scoreline in the Philippines to leave their qualification hopes in the balance ahead of the encounter at National Stadium.

A second home win in succession would take Group B down to the wire, with a trip to Thailand on Sunday potentially offering a dramatic climax, while defeat could well spell elimination for the four-time winners.

“It’s a do-or-die game for us, we need to win and win big, so it’s a difficult task,” admitted Fandi.

“[Timor-Leste] are very aggressive, very mobile and there’s no fear in them, so it’s very important we stay focussed. They are dangerous going forward and attack in numbers, but we can capitalise on certain aspects.

“We must be aware of their counter-attacking players and play as compact as possible and remain disciplined tactically. We need to express ourselves and try to stretch them out – we hope we can score the goals to win the match.”

Appearing in just their second AFF Suzuki Cup, Timor-Leste have already had their elimination confirmed as they prepare to round off their campaign in Singapore.

But after a heavy defeat to Thailand in their opening game, the side have shown plenty of promise and will go into the game confident that they can cause an upset.

The Timorese led in Indonesia before three goals in the last 30 minutes led to a 3-1 defeat then, 3-0 down to the Philippines, produced a stirring comeback to bring it to 3-2 but fell just short of gaining their first ever point in the tournament.

“The players have gained some good experience, but they needed time [to get used to the tournament],” said coach Norio Tsukitate.

“We’ve had three games and now I think they are improving and getting more confident. We have to give 100 percent and do the basic things right. We can’t think too much about the opponents, we just need to focus on our own game.

“It’s a very good stadium and the pitch is in good condition, so the players are happy. They will be able to run more and play aggressively. I cannot predict the result but we’ll do our best.”