Singapore 5 - 0 Cambodia

Singapore 5-0 Cambodia: Casmir brace

Updated: December 5, 2008, 8:00 AM UK

Agu Casmir netted a brace as defending champions Singapore kicked off their Group A campaign in the AFF Suzuki Cup with an emphatic but unconvincing victory against Cambodia at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium this evening.

Singapore dominated proceedings but the breakthrough only arrived just before half-time when Casmir fired home after a goalmouth scramble.

Skipper Fahruddin Mustafic scored the second from the penalty spot on the hour and Indra Sahdan Daud made it 3-0 in the 70th minute before Casmir added his second of the game two minutes later.

Noh Alam Shah put away Singapore's fifth in the final minute as the Lions stretched their unbeaten run in the Asean Championship to 18 matches.

Singapore took control from the opening whistle but struggled to make the breakthrough against the tournament minnows.

Aleksandar Duric fired a shot against the crossbar from an acute angle after 12 minutes and Casmir should have done better three minutes later when he rolled his shot wide from six yards out.

Duric put the ball into the net in the 42nd minute only to be ruled offside, then hit the post shortly afterwards before the deadlock was finally broken in the final minute of the half.

Goalkeeper Samreth Seiha collided with one of his own defenders as he attempted to gather a high ball, and the ball fell to Baihakki Khaizan who had his initial shot cleared off the line by Sun Sovannarith and his follow-up stopped by Chan Rithy.

However, Casmir gathered the loose ball and fired into the net at the third attempt.

Singapore continued to control proceedings in the second half but were unable to add to the scoreline until they were awarded a penalty for Rithy's foul on Noh Rahman on the hour mark.

Mustatic coolly sent Samreth the wrong way from the spot to make it 2-0.

Indra added a third 10 minutes later, rifling in a low shot from the edge of the box after a neat lay-off from Casmir.

The Nigeria-born forward netted his second of the game two minutes later, slotting home after Noh Alam Shah hit the upright following a fine cut-back by Shahril Ishak.

Alam Shah was unfortunate not to score three minutes from time as he headed against the post but the striker kept his cool to make it 5-0 in the final minute after being sent clear by Shi Jiayi's through ball.