Sports Illustrated
Posted: Saturday September 4, 2004 12:16PM; Updated: Saturday September 4,
2004 12:16PM

Singapore tops Indonesia in Tiger Cup warmup

SINGAPORE (AP) — Goals from Noh Alam Shah and Indra Sahdan Daud
gave Singapore a 2-0 win over rivals Indonesia in the Tiger Beer
Challenge trophy as the two Southeast Asian nations began tuning up in
preparation for the Tiger Cup, the region’s premier soccer tournament.

The match was also the first international for Indonesia’s English-born
coach Peter Withe — since he took charge last month from Bulgarian
Ivan Kolev — who left after leading them to the Asian Cup finals in
China that ended in August. Withe made the switch to Indonesia after
leading Thailand for five years and guiding them to the 2002 Tiger Cup.

Played before 3,000 at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Noh Alam, unmarked
on the left, opened scoring for the hosts in the 38th minute through
a header after a good cross from naturalized Nigerian Itimi Dickson.

Indonesia, ranked 92nd in the world, earned a penalty on the stroke
of halftime when Elie Aiboy was fouled just inside the box by the
city-state’s Noh Rahman. But top striker Bambang Pamungkas’ low spot
kick to the bottom right corner was saved by keeper Hassan Sunny for
the final play of the first 45.

Indra scored Singapore’s second in the 49th minute after a neat turn
away from his marker outside the box to fire a crisp, low drive past
Indonesian netminder Hendro Kartiko.

Ranked 121st in the world just behind Armenia and Benin, the win was
Singapore’s first this year.

The Tiger Cup will be co-hosted by Vietnam and Malaysia in December
and also features Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines,
Myanmar, Laos, Indonesia and debutants East Timor.

Singapore and Indonesia play 2006 World Cup qualifiers Wednesday
against Oman and Sri Lanka respectively but neither have much chance of
making the finals in Germany and are focusing instead on the Tiger Cup.