Shah Shahiran aims to keep his cool, help Lions qualify for Asian Cup

SINGAPORE – On Nov 14, 2024, Shah Shahiran celebrated his 25th birthday by captaining the Lions to a 3-2 win over Myanmar in a friendly at the National Stadium.

One year later, he hopes to mark his 26th birthday with an even bigger achievement – helping Singapore beat Hong Kong on Nov 18 to secure a historic Asian Cup berth.

Ahead of their Nov 13 friendly against Thailand in Pathum Thani, the BG Tampines Rovers player told The Straits Times: “Asian Cup qualification will be big for our generation and future generations of local footballers. It would be a great platform for us to showcase our talents on a bigger stage.

“This Thailand game will be crucial to help us prepare for Hong Kong, and I really hope to make it a memorable birthday with a win against Hong Kong.”

Getting the Lions call-up and skippering a team on the verge of qualifying for the continental showpiece is a dream for the 25-year-old. The wiry midfielder got hooked on football at age seven after accompanying his father for the latter’s kick abouts, before later joining the Junior Sports Academy.

He was selected for the Singapore Sports School and National Football Academy before joining Tampines in 2018, where he developed into a key player for club and country with his combative nature and eye for a penetrative pass.

While he is a central midfielder by trade, he was deployed in almost every outfield position by then Stags coach Gavin Lee owing to his physical attributes and game intelligence.

Shah, who has 36 caps and one international goal, said: “I’m grateful every time I’m in the starting XI. If any coach gives me any position to play and help the team, I’ll be happy to do so.

“Of course, it’s easier for me to play as a central midfielder because I have done that for many years, but coach Gavin’s plan to play me at left-back is not that difficult for me because he wants me to invert and play as a central midfielder during the attacking moments.”

Now interim Lions coach, Lee has utilised Shah’s versatility by playing him as a left-back in recent international matches against Malaysia and India.

He said: “Shah is a very intelligent player who is able to adapt to and deal with demanding situations very well. He has played in multiple positions because he understands the game very well, and is also quick and decent in the air.”

The coach also defended Shah’s recent suspensions, after he was red-carded for violent conduct in Tampines’ Singapore Cup final loss to the Lion City Sailors in May. He also received an unfortunate booking in the 1-1 home Asian Cup qualifying draw against India, which led him to miss the 2-1 away win in October.

Noting that he has been sent off only twice in his career, Lee said: “This boy is a winner, it means so much to him, and that’s why he’s got those expressions on the pitch. The challenge is, how do you express it on the pitch (in a way) that contributes to the team?”

An apologetic Shah said: “I’m disappointed with the suspensions. As a footballer, I don’t want to lose, but when tempers run high, I need to know how to manage myself to not let the team down. It’s a big lesson for me about self-control because such small details can help the team a lot.”

Lee will welcome Shah and Ryhan Stewart back from suspension against Thailand and Hong Kong. He has also recalled winger Faris Ramli, utility player Joshua Pereira and fullback Akram Azman, while dropping youngsters Raoul Suhaimi, Ong Yu En and Jonan Tan.

As world No. 148 Hong Kong prepare for the winners-take-all Asian Cup qualifier with a Nov 13 friendly against 179th-ranked Cambodia, the 155th-ranked Lions face much stiffer opposition against world No. 96 Thailand, who replaced Masatada Ishii with Anthony Hudson as head coach in October.

After beating the War Elephants 3-1 en route to winning their fourth Asean title in 2012, the Lions have lost nine straight games against Thailand, with the latest being a 4-2 reverse at the 2024 Asean Championship last December.

Lee said: “This game’s purpose is to prepare us for the Hong Kong game. Like before, when we chose to play against Malaysia before India, people asked similar questions.

“Strong opponents would definitely keep you on your toes and push you to your limits, and we believe that’s the best kind of preparation.”

Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post reported that tickets for the Hong Kong-Singapore match at the 50,000-seater Kai Tak Stadium were sold out within 80 minutes on Nov 7, with scalpers taking to online platforms to resell some tickets at HK$4,000 (S$670), or more than 16 times the original price of HK$240.

Some Hong Kong fans then reportedly registered through the Football Association of Singapore to secure some of the estimated 2,000 seats meant exclusively for away fans at $40 per ticket. ST has contacted the FAS for comment.