Following a 3-0 defeat against Malaysia in their opening match, head coach Thomas Dooley made four tactical changes to the starting lineup, bringing in Jamal Bhuyan, Zidan Yusuf, Suki, and Morsalin. Despite an organized opening 15 minutes of play, Bangladesh failed to record a single shot on goal during the first half as attacks broke down near the opponent's penalty area. Singapore capitalized on their momentum in the 36th minute when Abdullah Noor delivered a cross from the left flank, allowing Stewart to control the ball inside the box and score past Bangladesh goalkeeper Mehedi Hasan Sraban. Singapore managed five attempts in the first half—four on target—maintaining their one-goal advantage at the interval.