Singapore national football team has announced their 23-man squad for their 2022 AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup, and they will be without two key players, forward Ikhsan Fandi and midfielder Adam Swandi. The duo sustained a knee injury during their 3-1 win in a friendly match against the Maldives over the weekend at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Singapore, named Hariss Harun, the national team captain for the tournament, will begin their Group B campaign against Myanmar on 24 Dec at the Jalan Besar Stadium. The Lions will then face Laos in an away match three days later before hosting Vietnam in a home match on 30 Dec. Their final group match will be against regional rival Malaysia at the Bukit Jalil Stadium on 3 Jan.
With 115 caps to his name and an AFF Championship to his name, captain Hariss Harun knows exactly how it feels to play in front of the home fans, especially with the added pressure of gunning for a fifth title for the Lions.
“The final preparations over the past few weeks have gone well and we are looking forward to applying everything we have learned from the training camp and Maldives friendly to the tournament,” said the Lion City Sailors player.
“Our team spirit has always been our strongest asset and to go far in the tournament, we have to be very focused and believe in ourselves, as well as each other. There are some young but talented players in this team and while the seniors will guide them, at the end of the day everyone has to do their part because we are playing for Singapore – we have a duty to give our all for the country.”
“It is great to start our campaign at home. At Jalan Besar, the fans are close to the pitch and the atmosphere is terrific, which we have to utilise to our full advantage. As four-time champions, we have a history in the tournament and winning is a challenge we have to take up,” shared the 32-year-old.
Former Singapore national head coach Radojko Avramovic last brought glory to the nation as he won the AFF Championship in 2004, 2007 and 2012. Before that, Singapore first won it in 1998, when it was still known as the Tiger Cup, with the winning goal scored by R. Sasikumar against favourites Vietnam.
The Football Association of Singapore announced on Sunday that the pair, Ikhsan and Adam, were taken to hospital for assessment after the match, and while their follow-up procedures are still being determined, it is confirmed that both players will not be fully fit in time for the upcoming biennial competition.
“It is very unfortunate that Ikhsan and Adam will not be able to join us for the tournament. Along with the rest of the team, they have worked very hard during our preparation period and I can sympathise with how they are feeling right now,” said Singapore national football team head coach Takayuki Nishigaya.
Despite the setback, Singapore will be pleased that Ilhan Fandi opened his international account during the Maldives match and Hougang United’s Shawal Anuar (photo above) doubled his tally for the Lions to four goals. Nishigaya will be hoping to rely on Lion City Sailors’ trio of Faris Ramli for his goal-scoring instinct and Shahdan Sulaiman and Song Uiyong to provide stability in midfield.
In the previous AFF Championship in 2020 hosted by Singapore, the Lions were drawn in the same group as Myanmar, and they came away 3-0 winners courtesy of two goals by Ikhsan and a goal by Safuwan Baharudin. Singapore ended the group stage in second place behind Thailand and faced Indonesia in the semi-finals.
The first leg of the semi-final ended in a 1-1 draw, with Ikhsan scoring again for Singapore. The second leg ended in a thrilling two-all draw, and it went into extra time, and the Indonesians scored two more goals to win the match 4-2. Indonesia took on Thailand in the final, with the latter winning 6-2 on aggregate for their sixth AFF Championship title.
Coach Nishigaya would like his charges to focus on one game at a time: “We want to go as far as possible, but it is key that we first concentrate on taking things game by game. Of course, it is disappointing that Ikhsan, Adam and Taufik are not available and I want to demand that the team continues to stick together, and play for them as well.
“Everyone understands that the first game against Myanmar is important for us to set the tone and especially at home, we want to show what we can do in front of the fans – I want us to play together with the fans, and win together.”
The 2022 AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup started on 20 Dec with Group A matches. Cambodia defeated the Philippines 3-2, while Thailand had an easy 5-0 win over Brunei. There will be a Group B match on 21 Dec as Myanmar host Malaysia at the Thuwanna Stadium in Yangon.
