A trio of uncapped players is part of the 26-strong team that will face Palestine, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia in Riyadh; Lions will play Afghanistan in a training match prior

 

Singapore Men’s National Team line-up against Uzbekistan in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ qualifying, 15 October 2019

 

SINGAPORE, 17 MAY 2021 – Singapore Men’s National Team Coach Tatsuma Yoshida today called up 26 players for the remaining three Group D fixtures of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2. (UPDATE: Ikhsan Fandi withdrew from the squad on 27 May; no replacement was called up)(UPDATE 2: Hariss Harun withdrew from the squad on 31 May; no replacement was called up)

 

The Lions will play Palestine (3 June), Uzbekistan (7 June) and Saudi Arabia (11 June) next month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which was determined in March by the AFC as the centralised venue to host Group D until completion. Tatsuma’s charges are currently third in the standings, two points and four points behind Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia respectively.

 

There are three uncapped players in the squad – midfielder Saifullah Akbar, winger Idraki Adnan and forward Ilhan Fandi; this is also Idraki’s first official National Team call-up. Midfielder M Anumanthan, who last played for the Lions in June 2019, returns to the fold while defenders Hafiz Sujad and Madhu Mohana have the opportunities to make their first international appearances since March 2018 and October 2018 respectively.

 

Defensive stalwart Safuwan Baharudin will miss out as a precaution, following a concussion injury that he sustained two-and-a-half weeks ago. Baihakki Khaizan, whose spouse is due to give birth next week, will link up with the squad directly in Riyadh; together with team captain Hariss Harun.

 

“Saifullah, Idraki and Ilhan are all here on merit as they have performed well in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) this season and also impressed during our training sessions in March,” Tatsuma said. “Saifullah has maintained his consistency from last season, while Idraki is an exciting attacker and gives us options on the flanks. Ilhan may be young, but he is a good talent and can be an option upfront.

 

“Anu has been a key player for Kedah in a playing environment with a high level, while Madhu has always been one of the players I have kept tabs on and similarly, he has shown good performances in recent times as well as displayed strong motivation and a good attitude. Hafiz has also been in good form and condition, and offers us options in both defence and midfield.”

 

As part of preparations for the trio of qualifiers, the Lions will play Afghanistan in a closed-door training match on 29 May in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The team is scheduled to arrive in Riyadh on 31 May.

 

“We have not played international friendlies for over a year, so the match against Afghanistan offers us the opportunity to prepare against an international opponent and give game time to those who require it, as well as test different tactics ahead of the qualifiers,” Tatsuma said.

 

Idraki Adnan has earned his first official National Team call-up

 

The qualifiers, which were postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, offer Singapore the opportunity of qualifying for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. The group winner will secure a place each in the third round of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ qualifying and 2023 AFC Asian Cup; this also applies to the four best runners-up across the eight groups.

 

With everything to play for, Tatsuma has called on the team to prove their worth.

 

“We know that the opponents will be very strong, and it will be a tough challenge,” he said. “We have to defend properly and be patient when needed, while at the same time be aware of and follow the concepts we have always practiced in training and recent matches.

 

“However, we have to challenge in every match even if our opponents are strong. As a team, we will aim to play for victory in every match and everyone wants to try and secure second spot in the group.”

 

Forward Gabriel Quak added: “It has been one and a half years since we have competed on the international stage and the whole team cannot wait to put on the National Team jersey to represent Singapore again. We will give our all in the remaining three games and hopefully, lift the spirits of the nation during these current tough times.”

 

 

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STAYING SAFE

 

Every member of the traveling Lions contingent will be adhering to strict safe-management measures and all other necessary safety protocols in order to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission during the entire duration of our time overseas.

 

These include mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab tests two days prior to every departure and match, daily body-temperature monitoring and symptom checks, restriction of movement only to official facilities (team hotel, training venue, stadiums) and mask-wearing at all times outside of hotel rooms. To aid with these, there will be one designated Team Medical Liaison Officer and one Team Hygiene Implementation Officer within the Lions’ medical backroom staff. All local-based personnel have also been fully vaccinated i.e received both doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

 

The Lions depart Singapore on 25 May.

 

Singapore Men’s National Team Squad for May and June 2021

S/N	Name	Pos	Caps	Goals	DOB	Club
1	Hassan Sunny	GK	85	0	2-Apr-84	Lion City Sailors
2	Izwan Mahbud	GK	51	0	14-Jul-90	–
3	Zaiful Nizam	GK	3	0	24-Jul-87	Balestier Khalsa
4	Amirul Adli	DF	11	0	13-Jan-96	Lion City Sailors
5	Baihakki Khaizan	DF	137	5	31-Jan-84	Tampines Rovers
6	Hafiz Abu Sujad	DF	41	0	1-Nov-90	Hougang United
7	Irfan Fandi	DF	26	1	13-Aug-97	BG Pathum United (THA)
8	Madhu Mohana	DF	30	0	6-Mar-91	Tampines Rovers
9	Nazrul Nazari	DF	39	0	11-Feb-91	Hougang United
10	Shakir Hamzah	DF	51	3	20-Oct-92	Perak FC (MAS)
11	Zulqarnaen Suzliman	DF	11	0	29-Mar-98	Young Lions
12	Hami Syahin	MF	4	0	16-Dec-98	Young Lions
13	Hariss Harun	MF	101	10	19-Nov-90	Lion City Sailors
14	Idraki Adnan	MF	0	0	13-Mar-99	Hougang United
15	M Anumanthan	MF	19	0	14-Jul-94	Kedah Darul Aman (MAS)
16	Saifullah Akbar	MF	0	0	31-Jan-99	Lion City Sailors
17	Shahdan Sulaiman	MF	64	4	9-May-88	Lion City Sailors
18	Yasir Hanapi	MF	37	1	21-Jun-89	Tampines Rovers
19	Zulfahmi Arifin	MF	46	1	5-Oct-91	–
20	Faris Ramli	FW	56	9	24-Aug-92	Lion City Sailors
21	Gabriel Quak	FW	35	5	22-Dec-90	Lion City Sailors
22	Hafiz Nor	FW	6	1	22-Aug-88	Lion City Sailors
23	Hazzuwan Halim	FW	3	0	2-Feb-94	Balestier Khalsa
24	Ikhsan Fandi	FW	18	8	9-Apr-99	FK Jerv (NOR)
25	Ilhan Fandi	FW	0	0	8-Nov-02	Young Lions
26	Shawal Anuar	FW	10	1	29-Apr-91	Hougang United

National Team Fixtures for May and June 2021

Date	Time	Match	Venue
29 May 2021 Saturday	6pm (10pm SGT)	Training match: Afghanistan vs Singapore	JA Sports Centre, Dubai, UAE (Venue changed to Iranian Club Dubai on 28 May)
3 June 2021 Thursday	9pm (2am SGT, 4 June, Friday)	2022 World Cup Qualifier: Palestine vs Singapore	King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
7 June 2021 Monday	9pm (2am SGT, 8 June, Tuesday)	2022 World Cup Qualifier: Uzbekistan vs Singapore	King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
11 June 2021 Friday	9pm (2am SGT, 12 June, Saturday)	2022 World Cup Qualifier: Singapore vs Saudi Arabia	Mrsool Park Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

 

 

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