vs
Lebanon vs
Singapore
Sunday 22 June
2008
11pm - Delayed on Channel 5 at 0030hrs (Mon 23
June)
Ahead of Singapore’s final third round World Cup
Qualifier against Lebanon in Beirut, coach Radojko Avramovic is
already looking forward to the future.
While the match
against Lebanon is largely academic given that both teams are out
of the running for the next round, Avramovic is keen to use the
game to have a glimpse into the obvious potential for Singapore
football.
“How far
(Singapore football) will go, this game will show. There is no
psychological pressure on the team but they must show the right
attitude and be committed 100% whenever they play for the National
Team.
“There is also
a responsibility on the team (to finish well) for future
participation (in World Cup qualifiers).”
Utility player
Noh Rahman has been ruled out of the match completely after
sustaining a groin strain at training yesterday while midfielder
Shi Jia Yi looks to have recovered sufficiently from his own groin
injury to take his place on the bench.
Young Lions
central defender Ismail Yunos is in line for this full senior debut
in the heart of defence while winger Ridhuan Muhamed is also
pencilled in to start on the right side of midfield. Fullback
Juma’at Jantan is also expected to play some part in the game after
recovering from his illness that kept him out of the previous two
matches.
“It’s been a
good experience playing at this level and if we want to continue
playing at this level, we must have improvement especially among
the younger players.”
Avramovic then
pointed out to the generation of players born in 1984 and after
such as Hassan Sunny, Baihakki Khaizan, Juma’at, Shahril Ishak,
Ridhuan, Khairul Amri, Fazrul Nawaz, Isa Halim and Ismail to be the
torch-bearers for Singapore football.
“They have to
maintain this level at least and try to go further. They have been
in the National Team the last few years and now it is time that
they step in and become the main players in the team.
“Until now,
their participation in competitions has not always been consistent.
Now, after these few years, they should show more composure and
stability and this game against Lebanon will be a good opportunity
for them to show that.”
Indeed, the
likes of Baihakki (58 caps), Shahril (61 caps), Amri (51 caps) and
Ridhuan (42 caps) seem to be around for a long time but are all
still 24 and younger. They are all very much part of the present
tense and promisingly for Singapore football, very much represents
the future perfect.
It will not be
easy and will take a lot of dedication and hard work though,
stressed Avramovic.
“To take the
next step up, they all have to be more dedicated to football and
make it the number one thing in their lives. They are all
professionals and football has to be their priority. “
Avramovic was
also keen to stress the importance of continuity especially when
senior players pass the baton on.
“The older
players such as Aide Iskandar and Subramani had helped a lot in the
development of these players. Now they have to show that their
efforts did not go to waste.
“In the future,
there will be younger players coming up and it will be their (the
current generation’s) duty to help them adapt. Only then can there
be continuity and stability for generation after generation of
Singapore football.”
There was a
surprise for the team just before lunch today when the
Consulate-General of Singapore in Lebanon, Mr Joseph Salim Habis,
paid a visit at the team base at the Le Meridien Commodore
hotel.
Mr Habis, who
was appointed in that position back in 1974 by the then Singapore
Minister of Foreign Affairs, the late Mr S Rajaratnam, reminisced
about the last time Singapore visited Lebanon in 1997 for a
football match and wished the team well ahead of the game
tomorrow.
Captain Indra
Sahdan, the only player among the current squad who played in that
game 11 years ago, presented Mr Habis with a ball autographed by
the entire team.
2010 FIFA World Cup South
Africa (Asian Qualification) Round 3 Group
4
Lebanon
vs
Singapore
Sunday 22 June
2008
1800hrs
(local time), 2300hrs (Singapore time)
Sports
City Stadium,
Beirut
Probable lineup: Hassan
Sunny (gk), Ismail Yunos, Baihakki Khaizan, Precious Emuejeraye,
Daniel Bennett, Ridhuan Muhamad, John Wilkinson, Fahrudin Mustafic,
Shahril Ishak, Aleksandar Duric and Indra Sahdan
(captain)
The match will be broadcast delayed on MediaCorp
Channel 5 at 0030hrs (Mon 23 June)
