RECALL FOR AUSTRALIA AND LEBANON: Agu Casmir (centre) getting in some shooting practice yesterday. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

The striker, who is not contracted to any S-League team, is a shock selection in Raddy Avramovic's 22-man squad to face Australia in a friendly on Saturday, and Lebanon next Wednesday in a third round World Cup qualifier.

When approached after the Lions' training at the Jalan Besar Stadium yesterday, the Nigeria-born citizen explained how he kept in shape during those months of inactivity.

Said Agu, who scored seven times in 21 international appearances: 'I feel fit. I have trained almost every day with the Young Lions.

'I feel I'm ready to play for Singapore.'

An informed source believes that Agu is weighing up offers from Indonesia, whose league season will begin in June.

That will mark a remarkable turn-around for the marksman, who made headlines in 2005 for all the wrong reasons.

Then, he agreed to join Persija Jakarta and pocketed the US$20,000 (S$27,600) signing fee.

After that, he disappeared from Indonesia, claiming he had attended trials in Russia, England and Canada.

Nothing came out of those trials. And when he resurfaced in Singapore, he said he had spent all the money.

That duly earned him a one-year ban from the Football Association of Singapore, who charged him with bringing the game into disrepute.

Agu received bad publicity after that stunt and, according to the source, he has been cautious of the local media ever since.

When asked about his future plans, all he said was: 'I don't want to talk about that.

'I'm with the national team now - that's all I want to talk about.'

After his suspension, he joined Gombak United and repaid the Bulls' trust by scoring 11 goals, as the unfancied club finished a respectable fourth last year.

At the Korat SEA Games, he bagged important goals in the Under-23 team's bronze-medal showing.

Needing a point in the group stages to stay alive, Agu came off the bench to equalise in the 1-1 draw against Malaysia.

And, in the third-place play-off, he scored against Vietnam in a 5-0 victory.

That match, played on Dec 14, was his last competitive game.

But Lions coach Avramovic has faith in the wayward striker, who will celebrate his 24th birthday on Saturday, saying: 'Agu has been training regularly.

'He is fit and I'm not worried that he has not been playing for any club right now.

'He was picked for the squad as, currently, we do not have many choices up front.'

The Serb was referring to Noh Alam Shah's one-year absence due to a playing ban.

WANG MENG MENG