Singapore coach calls for mental steel against Iraq
By Ossian Shine
SINGAPORE, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Discipline and focus will prove key
for Singapore's Asian Cup qualification hopes when they clash
head-on with Iraq in a Group E qualifier on Wednesday.
The Lions, third in the four-nation group behind Iraq and China,
beat Oman club side Al Nahda 2-1 in a warm-up on Saturday and are
hitting form at the right time.
But coach Radojko Avramovic knows his side will need more mental
steel when they tackle the group leaders at the United Arab
Emirates' Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium.
"Getting the win against Al Nahda was a timely boost for the boys
just days before our match against Iraq," Avramovic said.
"The conditions were great and I am expecting a good game of
football against Iraq on Wednesday.
"But while I am happy that we played well and managed to find two
goals, I have also told the boys that they will have to be very
disciplined against Iraq," he told Singapore's Today
newspaper.
"It is not an impossible task. We have beaten Iraq before. There's
no reason why the boys can't repeat the feat again."
In February, Singapore sent Iraq spinning to a 2-0 defeat at the
National Stadium. Instead of seizing the initiative in the group,
however, they lost focus and slumped 1-0 to minnows Palestine in
Amman 10 days later.
Singapore have four points from four matches, three fewer than both
Iraq and China. Fourth-placed Palestine also have four points in
the tight group. The top two teams from six qualifying groups will
make it to the final rounds of the 2007 Asian Cup, together with
the four co-hosts Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
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