Preview: Singapore vs. Papua New Guinea - prediction, team news, lineups

Seeking to stretch their unbeaten run in friendly matches to five games, 158th-ranked Singapore host 159th-ranked Papua New Guinea at the National Stadium on Thursday lunchtime.

The hosts will also take on the Solomon Islands during this month's international period, while their visitors prepare for a sojourn to Malaysia once this week's contest is done and dusted.

Match preview

While the majority of the world was gripped by events in Qatar last winter, Singapore sought to become AFF champions for the fifth time in their history, having progressed to the semi-finals in 2020 as the host nation after last winning the tournament in 2012.

However, the world's 158th-ranked nation's dominance of the Southeast Asian landscape has waned, and with seven points taken from their four group-stage matches, Singapore missed out on a place in the knockout stages as they finished third in Group B.

A fourth group-stage exit in five editions followed another failed Asian Cup qualification campaign for Singapore, but Takayuki Nishigaya's men can at least rejoice in an unbeaten start to the year following a pair of March friendlies with Hong Kong and Macau.

Following a 1-1 with the former, Singapore bested Macau 1-0 thanks to Lionel Tan's second goal in as many games - the centre-back also netted the opener against Hong Kong on his senior debut - and the Lions have just one defeat on their record from their last eight matches heading into Thursday's affair.

Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea ended a three-year hiatus from international competition to test their mettle in OFC World Cup 2022 qualification last spring, where victories over New Caledonia and Fiji propelled them through the group stage in second spot behind New Zealand.

However, Kapuls' fantasy of a maiden World Cup appearance remains just a fantasy for the time being, as they fell to a 3-2 loss to the Solomon Islands in the semi-finals and would not reconvene again until September's 2022 MSG Prime Minister's Cup - the first edition of the Melanesia Cup since its revival.

Strolling through the group stage with a pair of wins over two Vanuatu outfits, Papua New Guinea once again put Fiji to the sword 1-0 in the semis before clinching the title with a 4-1 penalty-shootout win over Vanuatu "B" after a thrilling 3-3 draw in 120 minutes.

Under the tutelage of former youth team manager Harrison Kamake for Thursday's affair, Papua New Guinea travel to Kallang with the aim of making it third time lucky against Singapore, who won their opening encounter by an emphatic 7-0 scoreline in 1976 before edging a 2014 friendly 2-1.

Singapore friendly form:

Team News

Singapore's highest active goalscorer Ikhsan Fandi - who has 17 strikes to his name for the national team - is nowhere to be seen on the squad list for June's fixtures, so the onus will be on 76-cap attacker Faris Ramli to come up with the goods in the final third.

Ramli is one of two Singapore players sitting on 11 goals for the national team alongside centre-back and captain Hariss Harun, who is poised to win his 121st cap for the Lions here, likely alongside Tan in the heart of the backline.

As for Papua New Guinea, there is youth and experience aplenty, as Kamake has called up his nation's eight highest appearance makers while also including 10 uncapped players in the squad.

Thirty-seven-year-old midfielder Michael Foster is set to make a record-extending 30th appearance for Kapuls here, while Nigel Dabinyaba will be key up front, having scored four goals in the recent MSG Prime Minister's Cup.

The 30-year-old ought to be joined by another attacking veteran in Raymond Gunemba, who sits on 13 goals for the national team and will become their outright highest scorer of all time with a 14th on Thursday, leaving Reggie Davani in his wake.

Warisan; Joe, Haro, Talau, Steven; Waiwai, Foster, Simon; Semmy, Gunemba, Dabinyaba

We say: Singapore 1-1 Papua New Guinea

Only one place separates the two minnows in the FIFA World Rankings at present, and we expect the standings to ring true in Thursday's affair.

There is no shortage of goals in the Papua New Guinea ranks, but Singapore have a respectable unbeaten run to protect and can strike back on home soil to hold their visitors to a draw.