SINGAPORE, 8 JULY 2022 – Top seed Singapore is set to face world number two Brazil in the group stages of the upcoming FIFAe Nations Cup 2022. England and Argentina, who are ranked fifth and sixth in the world respectively, along with Scotland and host country Denmark, make up the rest of the teams in Group A.

 

Among the four groups, Group A has the most teams in the top 10 ranks of the FIFAe Nations. Only the top four teams in the group will progress to the Round of 16.

 

Graphic credits: FIFA

 

The Singapore team, which consists of Muhammad Syakir, Amraan Gani and Ahmad Sufian, booked their place in the competition after a successful FIFAe Nations Playoff campaign where Singapore beat Malaysia, Australia and powerhouse Japan to emerge first in the Asia and Oceania region. These results lifted Singapore from sixth to first in the latest FIFAe Nations ranking list, which was announced on 28 June 2022.

 

Match	Set 1	Set 2
Malaysia vs Singapore	0-1	2-3
Australia vs Singapore	2-3	0-1
Singapore vs Japan	0-0	2-1

 

This will be the second consecutive year which Singapore has qualified for the tournament. The Republic was due to face reigning champions France, England, Japan, Mexico and Sweden in last year’s edition, however the competition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Syakir, known in-game as ‘Kun’, said: “It is a huge honour to be able to fly the country’s flag on the largest stage and our Playoff victory is sweeter given the unfortunate circumstances last year that prevented us from experiencing the Finals.

 

“We channelled our disappointment into working even harder for this year’s qualifiers and it has paid off with us being able to overcome some of the best FIFA 22 eSports teams in Asia, and ultimately emerging first in the rankings, which is a positive sign of the team’s progress. I am very proud by what the team has achieved and we are equally grateful for the support the FAS has been providing since 2020.

 

“That being said, it is important for us to remain grounded and focus on ironing out our weaknesses ahead of the competition. Even though it will be our tournament debut, we want to progress as far as possible. We need to be in the best mental and physical condition to emerge out from the group stages, especially with the calibre of opponents we will be facing.”

 

On the prospect of meeting Brazil in the group stages, Amraan said: “It will be a special match since the best two teams in the world will be facing each other. My teammates and I are not daunted by them, nor the rest of our opponents, because we know our abilities. We will take it one game at a time and do our upmost best to do Singapore proud.”

 

FAS General Secretary Yazeen Buhari added: “Huge congratulations to the boys for not only qualifying for the FIFAe Nations Cup for the second consecutive year but for also accomplishing the unprecedented in emerging first in the FIFAe Nations rankings.

 

“Due to last year’s cancellation, this will be the first time the boys will be competing at this prestigious tournament but I know this will not faze them. The recent results show the progress they have made and I am confident they will further cement Singapore’s place among the global elites in virtual football over the course of the tournament. The boys have been preparing diligently since their qualification was confirmed and we are all looking forward to watching them in action.”

 

The FIFAe Nations Cup 2022 is FIFA’s official inter-nation competition for EA Sports FIFA 22 and sees players represent their country in a two-versus-two format. This year’s competition will be the second edition and will see 24 countries competing in Copenhagen, Denmark from 27 July 2022 to 30 July 2022.

 

All participants will compete for a total prize pool of USD 1.2 million in addition to the prize money earned during the qualification. More information on the team’s fixtures and broadcast details will be shared once they have been finalised.

 

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE