Football: Roaring in changes as Lions coach announces 22-man squad for Yemen game
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National football coach Tatsuma Yoshida has made four changes to the team who featured in the 3-1 home defeat to Uzbekistan last month.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
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SINGAPORE - National football coach Tatsuma Yoshida on Monday (Nov 4) named the 22-man Lions squad who will face Yemen in their fifth Group D fixture of the 2022 Fifa World Cup Asian zone qualifiers on Nov 19.
The Japanese tactician has made four changes to the team who featured in the 3-1 home defeat to Uzbekistan last month.
Defender Shakir Hamzah returns to the squad after recovering from an injury, while Home United full-back Iqram Rafiqi has been handed his maiden senior call-up by Yoshida.
Sahil Suhaimi, who last donned national colours in November 2016 in a friendly against Cambodia, will make a return to the Lions. He will also be joined by Warriors FC teammate and striker Khairul Nizam, who last played for Singapore in March against Oman at the Airmarine Cup international friendly tournament.
Yoshisa said: "I have seen Iqram play many times and he has put in good performances on a consistent basis in recent months. I feel that this is a good time for him to show what he can do.
"As for Sahil, he is an offensive option who is able to change the rhythm and tempo of a game if needed. Nizam is a good alternative to Ikhsan Fandi upfront and he has shown in the Singapore Cup that he is in good physical condition.
"The same applies to both Iqram and Sahil, and that is a big factor in their selection as well."
The Singapore national football team, which is ranked 159th in the world, will play AFC Asian Cup champions Qatar (No. 59) in an international A friendly in Doha on Nov 14 before taking on 141st-ranked Yemen in Bahrain five days later.
Yoshida added: "The game against Qatar will be a good experience for us… our time in Doha will aid us in acclimatising to the time difference and weather.
"Yemen will be a different proposition and I do not expect an easy game. We did well against them in our first match, a 2-2 draw, and they will be wary of us now. But we always want to win and we must try our best to achieve that."
The Lions had kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign in Group D with a 2-2 draw with Yemen before notching a surprise 2-1 win over Palestine. But Singapore's undefeated start was halted after losses to Saudi Arabia (3-0) and Uzbekistan (3-1), and the Lions have dropped from top spot in the group to fourth on four points.
In order to advance to the third and final round of the Asian zone qualifiers, Singapore have to finish leader of the group or among the four best runners-up.
