Veteran Shahdan Sulaiman gets recall for Lions’ provisional Asean C’ship squad

SINGAPORE – He has experienced the high of winning the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship in 2012, and represented Singapore in five more editions.

However, Hougang United midfielder Shahdan Sulaiman still feels excited by his inclusion in the provisional 30-man squad for the upcoming tournament.

The 36-year-old moved one step closer to being called up for his seventh Asean Championship – also known as the Asean Mitsubishi Electric (ME) Cup – after Lions coach Tsutomu Ogura announced a squad comprising entirely of players from the Singapore Premier League (SPL) on Nov 30.

The final 26-man list will be released on Dec 6.

Shahdan, whose last international appearance came in November 2023, told The Sunday Times: “It’s always an honour to be called up, don the national jersey and play for the country. But it’s a bit of a surprise because I was not in coach Ogura’s last few squads.

“I’m in good condition and I’m looking forward to contributing my 100 per cent. My perspective in football hasn’t changed – it’s always been to win. But now that I’m nearing the end of my playing career, I have learnt to embrace and enjoy the moment more.”

He is among five players recalled to the Lions squad, with the others being defenders Raoul Suhaimi (19 years old) and Ryaan Sanizal (22), midfielder Syed Firdaus (26) and forward Iqbal Hussain (31).

Shahdan has had to battle fractures in both legs in his career, but has bounced back each time. After missing the bulk of the 2023 season, he recovered to notch two goals and six assists from 18 games for the Cheetahs in 2024.

While he is the oldest player in the side, the 89-cap midfielder’s set-piece prowess and experience will come in handy for Ogura, who will not be able to call upon foreign-deployed Lions such as Thailand-based Fandi brothers Irfan, Ikhsan and Ilhan and Selangor’s Safuwan Baharudin.

Injured utility player Jacob Mahler, who is also based in Thailand, misses out as well, while another notable absentee is South Korea-born midfielder Song Ui-young, who is not in the squad due to personal reasons.

While the SPL will resume only in January, leagues in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are ongoing during the Dec 8-Jan 5 Asean Championship. These teams will also not have their full complement of players, although they have a wider pool to pick from.

Ogura said: “From September through to November, we have prepared the team in expectation of this scenario and also to handle demands of the ME Cup – including coping with a tight fixture schedule.”

Thanking the SPL clubs for releasing the national players – which is not an obligation outside the Fifa international window – the 58-year-old Japanese added: “I believe we are all ready to make Singapore proud.

“This is the chance for the players to shine on the regional stage, make a name for themselves and bring pride to Singapore. I have seen the team improve over the last few months and start to deliver on the kind of football l am confident we can play.

“We are aiming to continue to do better at the ME Cup.”

Since their fourth Asean title in 2012, the Lions have reached the semi-finals just once – in 2021 – in five editions.

They will look to improve on that record in the upcoming competition, as they kick off their Group A campaign at home against Cambodia on Dec 11.

They then travel to Hanoi to play Timor-Leste on Dec 14, return to the National Stadium to take on defending champions Thailand on Dec 17, before the Causeway Derby in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 20.

Tickets, starting from $8, for Singapore’s two home matches are available for purchase via ticketmaster.sg

Singapore’s provisional 30-man AFF Championship squad

Goalkeepers: Izwan Mahbud, Rudy Khairullah, Syazwan Buhari

Defenders: Amirul Adli, Jordan Emaviwe, Irfan Najeeb, Nazrul Nazari, Nur Adam Abdullah, Raoul Suhaimi, Ryaan Sanizal, Shakir Hamzah, Ryhan Stewart, Lionel Tan, Christopher van Huizen

Midfielders: M. Anumanthan, Joel Chew, Farhan Zulkifli, Hami Syahin, Hariss Harun, Glenn Kweh, Kyoga Nakamura, Naqiuddin Eunos, Shah Shahiran, Shahdan Sulaiman, Syed Firdaus Hassan

Forwards: Abdul Rasaq Akeem, Faris Ramli, Iqbal Hussain, Shawal Anuar, Taufik Suparno