Young Lions bolster squad with veterans Izwan Mahbud and Abdil Qaiyyim

SINGAPORE – Veteran footballers Izwan Mahbud and Abdil Qaiyyim have returned to the Young Lions den, with the pair roped in to help bolster and guide the squad for the Singapore Premier League (SPL) season.

Marquee signing and national team first-choice goalkeeper Izwan joins on loan from league leaders Lion City Sailors, while SPL veteran Abdil has made the move from Balestier Khalsa.

Izwan is on the hunt for more time on the pitch after playing second fiddle to Croatian Ivan Susak – he started only two out of the Sailors’ opening five SPL games.

The 35-year-old said: “On my side, it’s positive. I’ll get more game time, because it was competitive back at the Sailors. I can also give back what I’ve experienced throughout my career with the younger players here.

Abdil, 36, who can play as a centre-back or left-back, is looking for a fresh challenge after making 12 appearances for the Tigers. He said: “It’s very good to be back after quite a while being away. I’ve played for quite some time, so I think that I can help these young players on and off the pitch.”

Head coach Firdaus Kassim has kept his cards close to his chest when it comes to his plans for the new signings, noting that a spot in the starting line-up for the Jan 16 match against BG Tampines Rovers at Our Tampines Hub is still up for grabs.

Izwan is prepared to fight for a spot between the sticks, noting that his status as a veteran and Lions No. 1 does not guarantee anything as “the team comes first before anyone else”.

The Young Lions have endured a poor start to the season, losing all five of their games to sit bottom in the table.

With just four goals scored (the joint-lowest in the SPL) and 17 conceded (the highest), the developmental team have the worst goal difference in the league. They also suffered heavy 5-1 defeats by second-from-bottom Tanjong Pagar United and league leaders Sailors.

Their players also made up the bulk of the national football team for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand. The Under-22s’ performances in Bangkok – 3-1 and 3-0 losses to Timor-Leste and Thailand respectively – prompted Singapore National Olympic Council secretary-general Mark Chay to say the side were “outmuscled, outpaced and outlasted” during a post-Games review in December.

One of the changes Izwan and Abdil are looking to impose on the team is a sharpened sense of game management.

Izwan said: “There are very young players, 17, 18 years old, but football is a man’s game. They need to know when to control the game, when to manage it.

“They’re eager to go for 90 minutes, but sometimes, as an experienced player, something I learnt in these few years is to manage the game, knowing when to attack or defend.”

While Izwan’s arrival could spell trouble for goalkeeper Aizil Yazid, Firdaus noted that healthy competition will help in a player’s developmental journey.

He said: “When you have Singapore’s No.1 goalkeeper in front of you, training alongside you, you must push to the next level.

“We’ll take it game by game, week by week and see how we can manage (their minutes).”

Meanwhile, the Football Association of Singapore confirmed on Jan 15 that the Sailors have been awarded a 3-0 victory in the Singapore Cup final, after Tampines were ruled to have forfeited the match.

Defending champions Sailors had defeated the Stags 2-0 after extra time on Jan 10, but the latter were found to have breached the rules by failing to maintain a minimum of four Singaporean players on the pitch at all times.

The club will also face a fine of at least $5,000 for the breach.

Albirex Niigata v Tanjong Pagar United (Jan 17, 7.30pm, Jurong East Stadium)

Tanjong Pagar are hoping to get back to winning ways when they face Albirex Niigata, after losing all four of their Singapore Cup fixtures. Albirex, meanwhile, put up a valiant fight in their Cup semi-final loss to eventual runners-up Tampines.

Geylang International v Lion City Sailors (Jan 18, 7.30pm, Our Tampines Hub)

Fresh off their Singapore Cup triumph on Jan 10, the Sailors will be looking to keep their perfect run in the SPL alive when they face Geylang International, who are second in the table and riding a three-match SPL winning streak.

Balestier Khalsa v Hougang United (Jan 18, 7.30pm, Bishan Stadium)

The Cheetahs will be looking to turn things around in the SPL, where they have one win against four losses. Standing in their way are a somewhat inconsistent Balestier side, who have struggled to string together consistent results in the league (2-2-1).