SINGAPORE -- When Singapore take on Thailand in the semifinals of the 2026 ASEAN Championship, starting with Saturday's first leg on home soil at Jalan Besar Stadium, they will be gunning for their first win over the War Elephants since 2012.
Coincidentally, that most-recent triumph was also a major chapter of the last time the Lions were crowned champions of Southeast Asian football.
14 years ago, Singapore claimed a 3-1 first-leg win over the Thais in the final of the ASEAN Championship -- now officially known as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026, which paved the way for a 3-2 aggregate triumph even though they lost the return encounter 1-0 in Bangkok.
At the time, it saw the Lions surpass Thailand to set a new tournament record of four regional crowns.
Since then, Thailand have gone on to reign supreme in 2014, 2016, 2020 and 2022 and are now the competition's record seven-time champions. Vietnam have also won two titles in that time, including in the most-recent edition two years ago.
Following that 2012 success, Singapore suffered a slide into the doldrums, disappointingly having to endure three consecutive group-stage exits between 2014 and 2018.
Lions captain Hariss Harun had just turned 22 when he was part of the last Lions side that lifted the trophy, although his campaign ended prematurely through injury. At a time when it looked like Singaporean football might be enjoying a golden era, he and his teammates could have been forgiven for expecting more silverware to follow.
Yet, the fact it remains the last trophy they have lifted has only served to provide Hariss a greater appreciation of just how difficult it is to get across the finish line.
"For sure ... and there are so many factors to that," Hariss told ESPN in an exclusive interview at the team hotel on Tuesday, as the squad regrouped after being given a couple of days off to enjoy the National Day long weekend with their families.
"I think, over the years, our ASEAN neighbours have improved in leaps and bounds. They've gone the naturalisation route quite a bit -- and fair play to them. I think they did what they had to do.
"For us, we've been through a bit of a transition period. But I think, in the last few editions where we've made it to the semifinals, having those experiences behind us can give us the belief that we can go further.
"2012 seems like a long, long time ago. Looking back at the campaign and the team we had, I think we just enjoyed being there for each other, playing for each other. We didn't think too much ahead -- just the game that was ahead of us.
"I can recall clearly in the group stage, in the last game against Laos where we had [to win] to qualify, we had a bit of trouble in the first half but we came back, stuck together and got the result we needed. And then from there on, it was a fairytale campaign for us. We brought the cup back.
"And I think we take reference from that campaign. But we have to earn the right to play the next two games [the two-legged final] so these two games [against Thailand] will be very, very crucial -- in how we prepare, how we approach the game.
"Because we respect all teams in this region but, at the same time, now we have this belief and confidence within the camp. We'll prepare as best as we can to do what we need to do to go further."
Hariss admits the team will now have to come back from the high of qualifying for the semifinals with last Friday's 1-1 draw with Indonesia, especially the manner in which they did so.
Needing only a draw to secure a top-two finish in Group A, Singapore were initially trailing to a formidable Indonesia outfit but found the equaliser and then battled out the remainder of the contest for the point they needed -- to gift the country an early birthday present just two days before its 61st National Day.
As the team celebrated the result after the final whistle at Jalan Besar, they were serenaded by the Lions faithful -- belting out the Singapore national anthem Majulah Singapura before adding a sentimental touch by singing the National Day favourite "Home".
"We're really looking forward to it [the semifinals]. It's really exciting," said Hariss.
"The highs of the last few days -- recovering from that ... it was really difficult to sleep after the game. One, it was a tough match and, two, it was really the stuff of dreams -- what we witnessed after the game [with] the fans in full voice singing together. I can't remember when was the last time we had that experience.
"We've had some days to recover from those things and now we look forward to the next one. It's a big game. We're playing at home first so we hope for more of the same atmosphere.
"Within the team, we're just fully focused on how we'll approach this game, and the next few days will be crucial for us."
Hariss revealed that he is ready to step in as captain and keep the team grounded should the need arise as they revert to business mode, although that has not been the case as he spoke of the maturity even from some of the more inexperienced members of the squad.
If anything, being surrounded by some of the younger teammates coming through, and playing their roles in Singapore's current ASEAN Championship charge, is almost breathing new life in his 35-year-old legs.
"For sure, when you see all the young boys coming in, I think initially when these group of boys came in two, three years ago, you could see they were pretty raw," added Hariss.
"Especially under [former Singapore] coach [Tsutomu] Ogura, I think when he was around he demanded a quite a lot. With his experience, he came in and knew what was needed for Singapore football.
"He introduced standards, demanded a lot from the newer players as well as the senior ones, but he demanded because he knew the ceiling. He saw the potential for what we can achieve. And also, the belief. He felt that there was a lack of belief and that was what he was trying to instill.
"We're happy that [current coach] Gavin [Lee] was part of the journey all along anad he just took over seamlessly and now we're seeing the fruits of the early days. It's not always been smooth sailing. I think if you've seen the games we've gone through, the training camps that we've been through, it's been tough. But I'm really glad that over the last year or so everything's coming together.
"It's not perfect, like I said. Some results, we didn't get but we performed well. The results that matter, we got them. We've qualified for the Asian Cup and now, in the Hyundai Cup as well, we're in the semifinals.
"Those are in the past now. We always have to look to the future and try to create something new -- create new memories. And, these boys, I can see that they have belief in themselves first and foremost.
"In football, confidence, belief is a big thing. If you have them in bucketloads, you're flying. And when you lack those things, you feel like you can do nothing.
"I'm really glad for these boys and, for me, I'm just happy to be part of the team, to play, to lend my experience, and we hope to put all these things together and hopefully we can do something special.
"We know what we want to achieve. We know where we want to head to, the direction we want to head to.
"Our feet are firmly on the ground right now because the next game is the next 'final' that we're looking at. We've played four [group-stage games], we want to play another four [the semifinals and final].
"The mantra is 'each game at a time' so we have to, with the next two games, earn the right to play the next two games after that so we're not looking too far ahead. Just fully focused on the next two that comes.