Taiwan yesterday edged Singapore 1-0 to finish in third place in Group E of AFC Asian Cup qualifying at the Taipei Municipal Stadium.
Head coach Gary White handed teenager Will Donkin his first start, while Korean-Taiwanese recruit Wang Chien-ming did not make his expected debut due to last-minute issues with documents proving his eligibility.
Donkin, who plays for English Premiership club Crystal Palace’s youth team, had previously appeared as a substitute during the second half of an away match in Turkmenistan in November last year.
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
White elected to go with an attack-minded 4-3-2-1 formation, with Donkin and Chen Hao-wei the two wingers in support of striker Li Mao.
Captain Chen Po-liang was in charge of the midfield three with Wen Chih-hao and Chen Yi-wei, while Yaki Yen and Chen Wei-chuan anchored the four-man defense in front of goalkeeper Pan Wei-chieh.
Singapore head coach V. Sundram Moorthy had captain Harun Hariss marshaling his midfield, and twin strikers Ramli Faris and Fandi Irfan spearheading the attack.
Taiwan started the match with more purpose and in the 12th minute a Wen Chih-hao pass had Chen Po-liang racing into the penalty area, but his shot went wide of the post.
Good teamwork and linkup play eventually paid off after 36 minutes when Wen again provided a penetrating pass into the area. Striker Li rolled a back-pass to Chen Po-liang, who slotted the ball just inside the far post.
Singapore almost leveled four minutes later when Faris’ cross from the left rolled across the goal in front of Pan and two Singapore players just missed the chance to poke the ball into the net.
Just before halftime, Singapore’s Hamzah Shakir blasted a shot from outside the area that was dipping into the left corner before Pan pulled off a good save.
In the second half, Pan came under pressure at set-pieces, but he stood firm to deny opposition several times.
Donkin was substituted in the 88th minute to a standing ovation by the more than 8,000 fans.
“I dedicate this win to all the fans who came to cheer our national squad... The goal was the result of good teamwork and passing combination between the players, for which I want to thank head coach White, because he had drilled us in different situations during training, and also Li Mao for the excellent back-pass which made the goal possible,” Chen Po-liang said.
“It was a good result and our players did well. We had numerous chances in both halves to score. There is also room for improvement, as in the second half our corner-kicks and set-pieces did not work too well, and the passing game could have been better,” White said.
Some disgruntled fans, upset over controversies involving the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) and White, staged a protest with signs that read: “We want Tim Chow back,” and “Shame on the CTFA.”
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