Iraq skipper Younus Mahmood (AFC filepic)
Singapore let slip a 1-0 half-time lead in Kunming to go down 2-1 to China in their Group A opener last Thursday and head coach Raddy Avramovic saw his charges concede two goals for the second game in a row.
Iraq skipper Younus Mahmood, who scored the winner in the final against Saudi Arabia as Iraq were crowned continental champions, sealed the victory in Singapore four minutes from time after the 28-year-old's Al Wakrah team-mate Alaa Abdul Zahra had given Iraq a 49th minute lead following a goalless first-half at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
The win was a timely boost for Iraq after the Lions of Mesopotamia lost 2-0 at home to Jordan in their Group A curtain raiser, their first competitive fixture under new head coach Zico, the Brazilian legend who guided Japan to glory at the 2004 AFC Asian Cup.
Iraq are on the road again as the third round of 2014 World Cup qualifiers reaches the halfway stage with the Mexico '86 participants taking on China on October 11 while Singapore will be looking to resurrect their campaign when they face Jordan in Amman on the same day.
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