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Lining up against Saudi Arabia last week were five of the new generation of Lions. No.3 Baihakki Khaizan. No 17 Shahril Ishak, No.4 Isa Halim, No.12 Khairul Amri and goalkeeper Hassan Sunny. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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It will take an entire generation before Singapore football can rank among Asia's best.
Therefore the Football Association of Singapore's foreign talent scheme will continue for some years yet, to 'buy time' for local players to improve, according to national coach Raddy Avramovic.
'But locals must take the initiative and fight for their places in the national side,' he stressed.
'The main objective is always to have quality local players, foreign players are a temporary measure.'
He added that it is time for the generation born in or after 1984 to take over, as the Lions' first appearance in the World Cup Asian Zone third round concludes today with an inconsequential match against Lebanon.
This post-1983 group includes striker Khairul Amri, midfielders Shahril Ishak and Muhamad Ridhuan, defenders Ismail Yunos and Baihakki Khaizan, and goalkeeper Hassan Sunny.
The six, part of the team that won a bronze at last December's South-east Asia Games, are set to start in Beirut as Avramovic tries to give them valuable international experience.
Reigning South-east Asian champions Singapore, now ranked 20th in Asia, are aiming to be among the continent's top 10.
The World Cup campaign, however, shows there is still some work to be done.
Non-qualification aside, it has, said team manager Eugene Loo, 'opened our eyes' to the gulf between South-east Asia and Asian standards.
One key lesson, officials said, is the difference in the Lions' technical abilities compared to top opposition like Uzbekistan, ranked sixth in Asia.
Basics like ball control, keeping possession and running into space are not up to par.
Hence, inculcating good techniques to youngsters aged between six and 16 has been made a top priority for Football Association of Singapore technical director Slobodan Pavkovic.
This long-term programme is crucial, to build the generation that can eventually stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan.
Four-, six- and nine-a-side games will be used to teach youngsters how to appreciate different areas of the pitch and understand their roles and responsibilities in attack and defence.
'It's important to start when kids are small. Good players can do such things quickly and naturally; this comes from honing the skills from young,' said former national coach Jita Singh, now the FAS head of grassroots development.
'But it is not a fast process, you need 10 years to properly develop a player to be ready for professional football.'
He will assist Pavkovic in working with schools and clubs to raise players' technical expertise.
Apart from below-par basics, the qualifying campaign exposed three other areas where the Lions need work on, said Avramovic.
First, speed of movement and fast passing, the hallmarks of modern football, are lacking.
'You cannot keep the ball at your feet for long moments,' said Avramovic.
'The Saudi coach was shouting 'play faster, play faster' in last Saturday's game, when his charges were already outrunning and outpassing us.
'That tells you how much we have to improve.'
The transition from attack to defence after losing possession is also too slow.
'We are missing defenders who can go into attack and come back fast,' said Avramovic.
'At high levels, the opposition can punish you because of that.'
Third, the team is missing a leader in the mould of former skipper Aide Iskandar.
Said Avramovic: 'We showed our best and worst faces in that 3-7 loss to Uzbekistan three weeks ago.
'In the first half hour we battled back from a goal down twice and matched the opposition but, after that, we collapsed.
'We need leaders and those who can dictate the game's tempo.'
The S-League, meanwhile, will ramp up standards as it continues to be the training ground for the Lions, said its chief executive Winston Lee.
But the domestic league cannot be the zenith for Singapore footballers, said Avramovic, and they must head to better overseas leagues to further develop their game.
The entire World Cup squad play in the S-League.
The Serb said: 'It will be interesting now to see how the younger batch adapt to international football.
'But overall, we must be realistic and know we cannot improve overnight.
'It will take time, and the support of all stakeholders in local football.'
limze@sph.com.sg
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