Lions’ friendly against Faroe Islands in Dubai called off due to Middle East war
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Singapore captain Hariss Harun (No. 14) says the Lions want to do their best in front of the home fans in their final Asian Cup qualifier match against Bangladesh at the National Stadium on March 31.
PHOTO: FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
- FAS cancelled Singapore's friendly against Faroe Islands in Dubai on March 26, citing Middle East conflict and player safety as "foremost priority".
- Singapore's national team, already qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup, will train in Singapore instead to prepare for their Asian Cup qualifier Bangladesh at the National Stadium on March 31.
- The Middle East conflict has disrupted sports, affecting athletes like Izaac Quek and causing Singapore's withdrawal from global sports events.
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SINGAPORE – The national men’s football team’s friendly against the Faroe Islands in Dubai on March 26 has been cancelled, as the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) prioritises the “safety and well-being” of the team and fans amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
In response to The Straits Times’ queries, an FAS spokesman said: “The decision was made following a thorough assessment of the evolving security situation in the region and its potential implications for travel and match operations, and in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.
“The safety and well-being of our players, coaching staff, officials and supporters remain our foremost priority.”
He added that the Lions will instead continue their preparations with a centralised training camp in Singapore ahead of their final Asian Cup qualifier Group C match against Bangladesh at the National Stadium on March 31.
With three away wins and two home draws, Group C winners Singapore have already secured maiden qualification for the Asian Cup, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia in 2027.
They cannot be caught by second-placed Hong Kong, who are three points behind but have one loss and one draw against the Lions earlier, with head-to-head record serving as the first tiebreak criterion.
Having achieved the historic feat, the FAS wanted the 148th-ranked Lions to play high-level opponents to prepare for the continental showpiece.
The friendly against world No. 125 Faroe Islands would have been Singapore’s first senior international match against a European team since their 2-2 draw with Azerbaijan in Dubai in 2012.
Lions skipper Hariss Harun told ST: “We haven’t played European opponents for a while and even though we don’t know much about the Faroe Islands, it would still have been a meaningful test for us.
“Every window leading up to Asian Cup is important, but there are obviously things that are not within our control and we just have to make the best use of what is available for us. We will be playing Bangladesh at home and we want to do our best to perform best in front of our fans.
“We will prepare and plan ahead, analyse and see what happens. Hopefully, the situation gets better, not just because we want to play football but also for world peace in general.”
The war in Iran has wreaked havoc on the world of sports, with flight cancellations affecting travel plans and athlete participation.
Other national athletes whose plans were derailed include table tennis player Izaac Quek, who was supposed to fly to Paris via Doha on March 1 to compete for French top-tier league side Les Loups d’Angers, but found his Qatar Airways flight cancelled.
The 19-year-old stayed in Singapore to train with French players such as Thibault Poret, Esteban Dorr and Florian Bourrassaud, who were caught in the same situation.
Elsewhere, Fencing Singapore withdrew its participation from World Cup foil and sabre events in Egypt, Greece and Italy before the competitions were suspended by the International Fencing Federation.
The Singapore Squash Rackets Association also decided not to compete in the April 14-18 Asian Team Championships in Pakistan “due to safety concerns”, while the Singapore Disability Sports Council cancelled plans to send four para-athletes to the April 9-16 Riyadh 2026 World Boccia Challenger in Saudi Arabia.
