No international friendlies for Lions in next two months, as coach Tsutomu Ogura eyes different approach

SINGAPORE – The lack of suitable opposition, coupled with the need to spend more time on the training ground, means that the Lions will not play any international matches during the upcoming window in September.

Instead, they will face Singapore Premier League side BG Tampines Rovers and Malaysia Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim on Sept 6 and Sept 7 respectively, before flying to Japan for three friendlies against J1 League sides from Oct 5 to 13.

After that, the Lions will host Myanmar and Chinese Taipei on Nov 15 and 19 respectively at the National Stadium in preparation for the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship.

New dates for the biennial competition, also known as the Mitsubishi Electric Cup, were announced on Aug 27. It will now take place from Dec 8 to Jan 5 instead of Nov 23 to Dec 21.

Singapore are in Group A, along with defending champions Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and the winners of a play-off between Brunei and Timor-Leste.

At a media briefing at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Aug 28, Lions coach Tsutomu Ogura outlined his tournament preparation plans, adding that the matches against Tampines and JDT will be held behind closed doors at the Kallang Football Hub. 

A Football Association of Singapore (FAS) spokesman said that “efforts were made” to search for high-level international opposition for September, but they could not find one that “matched training objectives”. Planning for the September window was also done before the AFF Championship was pushed back.

Ogura said he will use the next three international windows to gradually raise his team’s playing intensity. He will bed in new players in September, familiarise them with the rigours of travelling between games in Japan the following month, before playing the two November friendlies.

The Japanese tactician, who has overseen three losses and a draw in four World Cup qualifiers since his February appointment, admitted: “I don’t know if this is good or bad.

“If the results (in AFF) are not good, people will say ‘Ogura made a mistake in going to Japan and (plans for) September’. (But) I want to try a different approach to prepare for the AFF.

“We want to have more training (sessions). For me, it’s the best (preparation). This is the best way.”

He has called up 28 players for the September window, with Hougang United’s Ajay Robson and Geylang International striker Zikos Chua named in the Lions squad for the first time. 

Nine others have earned a first national call-up under Ogura – goalkeepers Izwan Mahbud and Rudy Khairullah; defenders Faizal Roslan, Ho Wai Loon, Shakir Hamzah and Darren Teh; midfielders Syed Firdaus Hassan and Naqiuddin Eunos and forward Iqbal Hussain.

BG Tampines winger Faris Ramli and Sailors quartet Zharfan Rohaizad, Lionel Tan, Christopher van Huizen and Song Ui-young miss out. 

The FAS spokesman said some players from Tampines and Sailors were omitted as the squad was selected based on the AFF Championship’s initial dates, which had clashed with their clubs’ involvement in the Asian Football Confederation’s Champions League 2.

BG Pathum United forward Ikhsan Fandi is also not in the squad, having just recovered from an injury.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s regional rivals will be taking on international teams in September.

Vietnam will meet Russia and Thailand in a friendly tournament in Hanoi, while the Philippines, Malaysia, Tajikistan and Lebanon will compete in the Merdeka Tournament in Kuala Lumpur.

At the FAS briefing, national women’s coach Karim Bencherifa also talked about his plans for the Lionesses, with their objective being to qualify for the Asean Women’s Championship, which is set to be held in 2025.

He said the Lionesses will have to go through the Nov 5-16 qualifiers in Laos, where only the top three teams out of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Timor-Leste and the hosts will join the last edition’s top four teams – Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines and Thailand – in the tournament proper.

The 138th-ranked Singapore notched their biggest-ever victory when they hammered Macau 9-0 in a friendly on July 16 to end a five-game losing run.

Another international friendly has been lined up at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Oct 28.

Bencherifa, who was appointed in March 2023, said: “In any project, we put in place the plan to fix whatever needs to be fixed, but we need some patience to reach where we want to go.”

Singapore squad

Goalkeepers: Izwan Mahbud (Lion City Sailors), Hairul Syirhan, Rudy Khairullah (Geylang International), Syazwan Buhari (BG Tampines Rovers) 

Defenders: Jordan Emaviwe, Darren Teh (Balestier Khalsa), Faizal Roslan (Tanjong Pagar United), Irfan Fandi (Port FC), Nazrul Nazari (Hougang United), Nur Adam Abdullah (Young Lions), Safuwan Baharudin (Selangor), Shakir Hamzah (Geylang), Ho Wai Loon (Albirex Niigata)

Midfielders: Syed Firdaus Hassan (Albirex), Ajay Robson (Hougang), Farhan Zulkifli (Young Lions), Hami Syahin, Hariss Harun (Sailors), Glenn Kweh, Shah Shahiran (Tampines), Jacob Mahler (Muangthong United), Naqiuddin Eunos (Geylang), Harhys Stewart (Chiangrai United)

Forwards: Ilhan Fandi (BG Pathum United), Zikos Chua, Iqbal Hussain (Geylang), Shawal Anuar (Sailors), Taufik Suparno (Tampines)