New Singaporean Song picked for Lions squad
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New citizen Song Ui-young has received his first Singapore call-up after national football coach Tatsuma Yoshida announced yesterday a 22-man local-based squad to train during the Aug 31 to Sept 3 international window.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, they will not play any international match but will train at the Geylang Training Centre instead.
Yoshida said: "Song has indicated his desire to play for Singapore in the past and now that he has received his citizenship, this is an opportunity for him to show his ability.
"I have observed his displays since I became national team coach (in 2019) and I believe that his potential and ability mean that he deserves his chance. I have expectations of him, just as I do with every player that is called up, in terms of being disciplined and hardworking.
"Additionally, Song's toughness and fighting spirit will be a welcome addition in midfield and he has shown the qualities required to be a Lion."
Song, a 27-year-old midfielder, became the first South Korean footballer to be granted Singapore citizenship on Aug 20.
He is one of 11 Lion City Sailors to be called up by Yoshida. The others include uncapped defenders Tajeli Salamat, 27, and Nur Adam Abdullah, 20.
Other uncapped players hoping to impress the Japanese include 29-year-old Geylang International forward Amy Recha, who has scored nine times in 16 games to be the joint-top local scorer alongside the Sailors' Gabriel Quak in the Singapore Premier League.
Yoshida said: "We will remind the players of our playing concepts and make the best of this window by training hard and competitively.
"This will also be an opportunity for us, in a way, to start afresh after our World Cup qualifying campaign in June, as we prepare for future challenges. I want to see who has the hunger to play for the national team and who is deserving of their place."
Singapore were eliminated in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers, but will play in the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers scheduled for next year.