PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- It was way back in 2012 when Singapore last won the ASEAN Championship.
In that time, six coaches have attempted -- but failed -- to get the Lions back to the summit of Southeast Asia.
In the 14 years that have passed, there have been more lows than highs for Singaporean football but -- ahead of the latest edition of the ASEAN Championship, officially known as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 -- a sense of optimism has returned.
Much of the feel-good vibes has to do with what the Lions have achieved since current coach Gavin Lee took over at the helm -- initially in a caretaker capacity last June before he was handed the role on a permanent basis five months later.
Lee's fulltime appointment came in the wake of him leading Singapore to a historic qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup -- the first time they have done so on merit with their only previous appearance coming by virtue of being the host nation back in 1984.
They are still a while away from the Asian Cup. The immediate task at hand is the ASEAN Championship, where they kick off their Group A campaign against Cambodia at Phnom Penh's Morodok Techo National Stadium on Friday evening.
Lee has always focused on the process. He brushes aside questions about targets for tournaments. He chuckles whenever he is asked if he thinks his team can go all the way.
But if Singapore are to indeed show they are making progress with each passing month under the pragmatic, the realistic target is for them to at least emulate their last-four finish from two years ago -- even if they haven't been handed the easiest path to get there.
"For us, we always want to evaluate ourselves based on our performances -- comparing what we did in the past and what's ahead of us," said Lee in Thursday's prematch news conference.
"What is very important is whether we are getting more consistent during the big moments. I think in the past we've spoken a lot about times we allowed certain situations to impact what we do next. We know, going forward, we have to get better with those kind of behaviours.
"I often reiterate that we've got to be calm and consistent. This tournament will be fantastic for that in the sense that every team we'll play against is going to be very motivated. They want the same thing as you.
"Among many things, this tournament will help us look at how we respond to difficult situations and undesired actions on the pitch, and hopefully all the experiences we've had along the way will help us in this next step of our journey."
Singapore's quest has not been helped by being drawn in what is, on paper at least, the tougher of the two groups.
They will have to face defending champions Vietnam, who their 2024 campaign ended against with a resounding 5-1 aggregate defeat in the semifinals. They will also meet an ever-improving Indonesia -- who are constantly getting reinforced by new heritage players pledging their allegiance to Garuda after having been born and raised in other countries.
For now, it looks like it will be a three-way battle between them for the two last-four berths on offer in Group A -- which makes an opening victory over Cambodia even more crucial.
Another hurdle Singapore will have to overcome is the fact that they will have to do without a handful of key players who have not been released by their clubs for international duty, including star striker Ikhsan Fandi -- who was arguably been their best attacking option for the past six years or so.
Instead, his younger brother Ilhan Fandi looks likely to be the Lions' main man in attack -- at least to start the tournament.
Ilhan will not be fazed by the occasion, given he was the one who scored a stunning winner against Hong Kong to seal his team's Asian Cup qualification at the end of last year.
While he relishes the responsibility, he does not believe it will necessarily fall solely on him to get the goals they need to go far in the competition.
"Of course, I'm excited [by this responsibility] but every player is important," said the 23-year-old, who recently completed a move to Singapore Premier League champions Lion City Sailors after spending the last four seasons playing abroad.
"It's 11 players on the field. I'm going to go out there and try to do my best. My job is to score and I'm going to try and score but anyone in the other positions could also do that.
"Just like how we qualified for the Asian Cup as a team, we're going into this as a team."
And if his coach is often loathe to set targets, could Ilhan potentially reveal what their expectations for the tournament might be?
"Every team comes into the tournament wanting to win," he explained. "That's the goal we should have.
"But we also will just take it one game at a time and look to win the game ahead of us. The only thing we can control is our performance so that's what we'll focus on.
"Like I always say, I'm just going to do my best and God will do the rest," he concluded, with a cheeky grin.
Following Friday's game in Phnom Penh, the Lions continue their campaign at home against Timor-Leste on Monday -- before having a bye on the third match-day and finishing up with massive clashes against Vietnam (away, July 31) and Indonesia (home, Aug. 7).
