‘Spanner in the works’ as S’pore U-22 football team re-drawn to face Timor-Leste and Thailand in SEA Games
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Singapore Under-22 footballers Fairuz Fazli (left) and Iryan Fandi tussling for the ball as they train in preparation for the SEA Games.
PHOTO: FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
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- Cambodia withdrew from several SEA Games events due to safety concerns from diplomatic tensions, leading to Singapore being redrawn into Group A in the men's under-22 football tournament.
- Singapore's U-22 team, largely from Young Lions, will face Timor-Leste then Thailand, aiming to improve goal difference for semi-final chances.
- Cambodia is banned from the 2026 Asian Games sepak takraw, due to their SEA Games withdrawal, according to Thai official Thana Chaiprasit.
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SINGAPORE – Following Cambodia’s withdrawal from the SEA Games Under-22 men’s football tournament, Singapore have been redrawn into Group A and will now kick off their campaign against Timor-Leste on Dec 6 before playing hosts Thailand on Dec 11 instead.
All their matches will be held at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.
Originally, Firdaus Kassim’s team were pulled into Group C
However, on Nov 26, the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia informed the SEA Games Federation that it would not participate in football and seven other sports at the Dec 9-20 Games in Thailand due to safety concerns arising from diplomatic tensions
Hence, Group A was left with just record 16-time champions Thailand and Timor-Leste, and the organisers decided to move Singapore from Group C, the only four-team group, although no explanation was given. Group B comprises Vietnam, Malaysia and Laos.
The three group winners and the best second-placed team across all pools will advance to the semi-finals, which means Singapore likely need to rack up the goals against Timor-Leste and try to hold the formidable Thais to stand a chance.
Firdaus said: “The late change in group opponents and venue is definitely a spanner in the works for us.
“A lot of the preparation and analysis we had done on the original opponents has to be reworked, but that’s part and parcel of football. We will adapt quickly, refocus and soldier on with our preparations.
“The boys understand the responsibility and pride that comes with representing Singapore at the SEA Games. We want to give a strong account of ourselves, compete with conviction, and build on our previous showing. The aim is to keep improving as a team and make the country proud.”
On Nov 29, the Football Association of Singapore confirmed their final 23-man squad, which consists of 19 players from Singapore Premier League (SPL) club Young Lions, including skipper and forward Amir Syafiz who has been capped twice at senior level, Tanjong Pagar United goalkeeper Sunny Tia and the Portugal-based trio of Jonan Tan, Khairin Nadim and Muhammad Asis.
Firdaus noted that he has a youthful squad with 12 players eligible for the 2027 Games, while five could play in the 2029 Games hosted in Singapore.
He said: “We’ve seen several of the younger boys step up throughout our preparations – in training and in the two matches in Dubai, and we believe they are ready to make the step up and contribute.
“Bringing them into campaign squads will also help us accelerate their development, and that will only help our cause.”
Singapore will need to find a way to win games soon as the Young Lions have made a five-match losing start to the SPL season and the national under-22s also lost 6-0 and 2-0 to under-22 teams from the United Arab Emirates and Iraq in Dubai earlier in the month.
In recent years, they have also underperformed at the SEA Games, failing to reach the semi-finals since they clinched bronze in 2013. In 2023, they hit a nadir when they were thumped 7-0 by Malaysia
“For us, preparation matches are about performance, improvement and growth,” Firdaus said of the efforts aimed at sharpening his squad for campaign football.
“We want to see clear progress in how we play, how we compete, and how we deal with difficult moments. If we get these things right, we’ll be moving in the direction we want – and we would have prepared ourselves for the tournament well.”
Amir added: “The camp in Dubai taught us a lot about ourselves, and we’ve been pushing each other every day.
“As a group, our goal is simple – to represent Singapore with pride and commitment. We know what it means to wear the flag on our chests, and we want to make Singapore proud.”
Besides pulling out of football, Cambodia has also withdrawn from judo, karate, pencak silat, wrestling, wushu, petanque and sepak takraw.
According to Thai officials, Cambodia’s sepak takraw team have been banned from competing at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, as a result of their SEA Games withdrawal.
In a VnExpress International story, Thana Chaiprasit, vice-president and secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, reportedly said that the World Sepak Takraw Federation and the Asian Sepak Takraw Federation imposed the ban.
