WCQ - Lebanon vs Singapore - Sunday June 22
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Lebanon vs Singapore
Sunday 22 June 2008
11pm - Delayed on Channel 5 at 0030hrs (Mon 23 June)
Ahead of Singapore’s final third round World Cup Qualifier against Lebanon in Beirut, coach Radojko Avramovic is already looking forward to the future.
While the match against Lebanon is largely academic given that both teams are out of the running for the next round, Avramovic is keen to use the game to have a glimpse into the obvious potential for Singapore football.
“How far (Singapore football) will go, this game will show. There is no psychological pressure on the team but they must show the right attitude and be committed 100% whenever they play for the National Team.
“There is also a responsibility on the team (to finish well) for future participation (in World Cup qualifiers).”
Utility player Noh Rahman has been ruled out of the match completely after sustaining a groin strain at training yesterday while midfielder Shi Jia Yi looks to have recovered sufficiently from his own groin injury to take his place on the bench.
Young Lions central defender Ismail Yunos is in line for this full senior debut in the heart of defence while winger Ridhuan Muhamed is also pencilled in to start on the right side of midfield. Fullback Juma’at Jantan is also expected to play some part in the game after recovering from his illness that kept him out of the previous two matches.
“It’s been a good experience playing at this level and if we want to continue playing at this level, we must have improvement especially among the younger players.”
Avramovic then pointed out to the generation of players born in 1984 and after such as Hassan Sunny, Baihakki Khaizan, Juma’at, Shahril Ishak, Ridhuan, Khairul Amri, Fazrul Nawaz, Isa Halim and Ismail to be the torch-bearers for Singapore football.
“They have to maintain this level at least and try to go further. They have been in the National Team the last few years and now it is time that they step in and become the main players in the team.
“Until now, their participation in competitions has not always been consistent. Now, after these few years, they should show more composure and stability and this game against Lebanon will be a good opportunity for them to show that.”
Indeed, the likes of Baihakki (58 caps), Shahril (61 caps), Amri (51 caps) and Ridhuan (42 caps) seem to be around for a long time but are all still 24 and younger. They are all very much part of the present tense and promisingly for Singapore football, very much represents the future perfect.
It will not be easy and will take a lot of dedication and hard work though, stressed Avramovic.
“To take the next step up, they all have to be more dedicated to football and make it the number one thing in their lives. They are all professionals and football has to be their priority. “
Avramovic was also keen to stress the importance of continuity especially when senior players pass the baton on.
“The older players such as Aide Iskandar and Subramani had helped a lot in the development of these players. Now they have to show that their efforts did not go to waste.
“In the future, there will be younger players coming up and it will be their (the current generation’s) duty to help them adapt. Only then can there be continuity and stability for generation after generation of Singapore football.”
There was a surprise for the team just before lunch today when the Consulate-General of Singapore in Lebanon, Mr Joseph Salim Habis, paid a visit at the team base at the Le Meridien Commodore hotel.
Mr Habis, who was appointed in that position back in 1974 by the then Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs, the late Mr S Rajaratnam, reminisced about the last time Singapore visited Lebanon in 1997 for a football match and wished the team well ahead of the game tomorrow.
Captain Indra Sahdan, the only player among the current squad who played in that game 11 years ago, presented Mr Habis with a ball autographed by the entire team.
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (Asian Qualification) Round 3 Group 4
Lebanon vs Singapore
Sunday 22 June 2008
1800hrs (local time), 2300hrs (Singapore time)
Sports City Stadium, Beirut
Probable lineup: Hassan Sunny (gk), Ismail Yunos, Baihakki Khaizan, Precious Emuejeraye, Daniel Bennett, Ridhuan Muhamad, John Wilkinson, Fahrudin Mustafic, Shahril Ishak, Aleksandar Duric and Indra Sahdan (captain)
The match will be broadcast delayed on MediaCorp Channel 5 at 0030hrs (Mon 23 June)
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Road to South Africa: Lions in Beirut (1st training session picture special)
Raddy and fitness coach Aleksandar Bozenko having a discussion before training starts. In the background, you can see Lebanese Division One leaders Al-Ansar having light training.
Raddy briefs the team before training. "We are not here on holiday and we are here to play to win a World Cup Qualifier."
Sasha leads the team in warming up at the Beirut Municipal Stadium.
Keepers Hassan Sunny and Jasper Chan do their own stretching exercises.
I put my left foot in and my right foot out. The boys continue stretching under the watchful eyes of coach Raddy.
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Lions final training session at the Sports City Stadium (picture special)
Carpet grass drills
Great wall of Singapore
Go Johnny go go! Notice the Lebanese soldier in the background. He's looking at his colleague retrieving a ball that flew into the inner bowels of the cavernous stadium.
It's mine! Hassan shows who's boss of the six-yard box.
Our Lions have an audience as the Lebanese army watch from a distance.
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Japan beat Bahrain by a lucky last minute goal.Whats the score down in Beirut?
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go singapore go!
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Great wall of Singapore...
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- World Cup Qualifying - AFC (Round Three) -
Final score:
Australia 0 - 1 China Japan 1 - 0 Bahrain South Korea 0 - 0 Korea DPR 1st half :
Lebanon 0 - 0 Singapore Jordan 0 - 0 Turkmenistan 2nd half :
Oman 0 - 1 Thailand Later matches :
Iraq v Qatar Saudi Arabia v Uzbekistan Iran v Kuwait United Arab Emirates v Syria -
not bad sg gooooo!! =P
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Table before today's matches...
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yay!
*proud of singapore*
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yeah proud hehes!
oh well some ppl still wont be happy lor.. its a pity.. lions fought with their heart but some ppl never feel de passion mah.. ony feel the scoreline.. tsk tsk..
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John wilkinson is the best player, followed by alex duric.
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Originally posted by FirePig:
John wilkinson is the best player, followed by alex duric.
How old is John Willkinson? Alex Duric maybe got another one or at the most 2 years of playing regional soccer.
