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  • Iqbal Hussain Dropped From Young Lions SEA Games Squad

    Iqbal Hussain Dropped From Young Lions SEA Games Squad

    He played in the 2013 South-east Asia (SEA) Games, making four appearances for the Singapore Under-23 team that bagged bronze in Myanmar.

    He has been a mainstay of the Courts Young Lions in the S.League for the past two years.

    When striker Iqbal Hussain heard that he was not included in the final squad of 20 for the SEA Games football tournament which kicks off here tomorrow, he was devastated.

    Coach Aide Iskandar delivered the heartbreaking news to nine of the 29 players in the Young Lions’ preliminary squad yesterday afternoon.

    Speaking to The New Paper yesterday, the usually shy and soft-spoken Iqbal was clearly upset.

    When asked if he was surprised at the decision, the 22-year-old said: “I was surprised, everyone was surprised. I can’t say I’m taking the news very well.”

    The others who didn’t make the cut were goalkeeper Fashah Iskandar, defenders Taufiq Muqminin, Zakir Samsudin and Nurullah Hussein, midfielders Shameer Aziq, Muhaimin Suhaimi, Christopher van Huizen and Afiq Noor.

    The biggest name is undoubtedly Iqbal, who took to Facebook yesterday to vent his frustrations.

    In a lengthy post, the 1.86-metre tall striker said the decision “broke his heart” and that the reasons given to him were “unacceptable and didn’t make sense”.

    He also lamented his decision to defer his National Service three times to be able to take part in the Games.

    He ended his post by wishing his teammates good luck and urged them to “win the gold”.

    Iqbal, who notched his sole international cap when he came on as a substitute for the Lions against Papua New Guinea last September, played only 15 minutes for the U-23s in the 2-0 friendly win over Timor Leste at Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday.

    He did not feature in the 5-1 drubbing of the Laos U-23s last Saturday because of a groin injury.

    But Iqbal said: “I’m 100 per cent recovered now; that was just a minor strain. The coaches’ decision to leave me out was down to performances but, for the past few weeks, I have been shifted to a few different positions.

    “I’ve been playing quite often in central midfield, where I hadn’t played for quite some time. So I didn’t do that well.

    “I prefer a more attacking position, whether left, right or centre. Centre midfield takes a while for me to get used to.”

    Singapore have been drawn in Group A with Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines.

    They kick off their campaign against the Philippines at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Monday.

    DIFFICULT

    Speaking to TNP, Aide said yesterday was one of his most difficult days as a coach.

    “It was very hard to cut those nine players, especially Iqbal, Afiq and Nurullah – because they are quality players who have played for me a long time,” said the former international defender and Singapore captain.

    “Iqbal was not the only one asked to play in different positions. Going into a tournament with just 20 players, it’s important to have players who can play in several positions.

    “The coaches felt that there were others who were playing better than him. It was a close call.

    “We have always said to the squad that they will be picked on current form, not how they played in the past.

    “I’ve told the nine boys not to stop here. They should use this as motivation to work harder and try and get into the national team.

    “I want to thank all the players involved in the SEA Games preparation. They are still part of our family and, if we do well, their names will still be next to ours.”

    S’PORE’S SEA GAMES FOOTBALL SQUAD

    • Goalkeepers:

    Syazwan Buhari, Rudy Khairullah

    • Defenders:

    Al-Qaasimy Rahman, 
Amirul Adli, 
M Anumanthan, Shakir Hamzah, Sheikh Abdul Hadi, 
Fadli Kamis, 
Ho Wai Loon

    • Midfielders:

    Adam Swandi, Safirul Sulaiman, Shahfiq Ghani, Faris Ramli, 
Stanely Ng, 
Pravin Guanasagaran, Shamil Shariff, 
S Suria Prakash

    • Forwards:

    Sahil Suhaimi, Irfan Fandi, 
Amy Recha

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

  • Regrettably I Don’t Give A Damn What Happened Across The Bridge With Lions XII

    Regrettably I Don’t Give A Damn What Happened Across The Bridge With Lions XII

    Well, to be honest here. It took a while before I settled down to drop a line here to share what are my thoughts that took place in the scene for the past few days.

    Nope, I did not tune to the channel to watch that match that day when most of those I met were talking about either online or during those breaks at work. Frankly speaking, I can’t be bother either (although appreciation must be shown and due credit should be given to those who deserved).

    What I knew what would happen next would be something I been expecting all along – the further diversion that caused the split in the local football fraternity that would take a lengthy period to patch it up.

    Someone familiar?

    Ever since the decision was made to send Lions XII to take part in the Malaysian League back in 2012, the reactions have been mixed.

    One side claimed the move was essential to revitalize the local game out of the doldrums with another criticized the plan a step backward and do no favour to help the struggling S.League to be back on its feet.

    Years down the road, we seen the Lions XII did decently well since making their foray into the competition across the Causeway with a MSL title win in 2013 and the Malaysia FA Cup last weekend.

    But has the “spill over effect” which they hoping for all these years shown up in the S.League?

    Only when I have those around me casually chat over the topics like why Warriors fared so badly in the AFC Cup, if Sundram can work his magic to bring Tampines Rovers back to the top or whether Geylang International are able recapture their glory days like they did in the semi-pro Premier League days then I can be assured the “spill over” has taken place, but it is never the case at all.

    MP Zainudin is serving out his term as FAS president

    Rather it has been a butt of joke with many ridiculous occurrences that took place in recent months that were well documented.

    With the outgoing FAS (Football Association of Singapore) president Zainudin Nordin pushing his Asean Super League (ASL) aggressively in the name to uplift the game’s standard in this region, many skeptics fear that could spell doomsday of Singapore’s only professional sporting league.

    Furthermore, the elected Member of Parliament’s antics at Bukit Jalil after the Lions XII’s 3-1 win over Kelantan to claim the trophy, that is third in the pecking order in Malaysian football, may not be gone down too well with those who still pin a fast fading hope to see the league that once drawn 30,000 to Kallang for a showdown between Fandi Ahmad and V Sundramoorthy in 1996.

    And put it bluntly, NOBODY CAN IMPOSE ON OTHERS BY ENFORCING THAT IDEOLOGY – THIS IS OUR TEAM, JUST BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY ARE.

     

    Source: www.bolasepako.com

  • Aide Iskandar Is Recovering From Dengue Scare

    Aide Iskandar Is Recovering From Dengue Scare

    National Under-23 Head Coach Aide Iskandar has tested positive for dengue, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said in a statement on Monday (Apr 27).

    He has been hospitalised and National U-23 assistant coaches S Subramani and Kadir Yahya will take charge of the daily training of the SEA Games squad in his absence, it added.

    In a Facebook post on Tuesday, FAS said Aide is recovering and said he is “grateful to everyone for their concern”.

    “I am feeling better, and I hope to be able to get out soon and join the team for centralised training,” he wrote. “To my players, I just want to say stay focused and keep working hard. I’ll see you guys soon.”

    An update: National U23 Head Coach Aide Iskandar is recovering, and he is grateful to everyone for their concern and the well-wishes he has been getting.

    Posted by Football Association of Singapore on Tuesday, April 28, 2015

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
  • SEA Games Organising Committe Chairman Calls Singapore Football Fans Fair Weather Fans

    SEA Games Organising Committe Chairman Calls Singapore Football Fans Fair Weather Fans

    Recent results for Singapore’s SEA Games football team have made for grim reading. But the Republic’s top sports executive called on fans to “show your mettle and come out in force” to support the struggling national Under-23 squad.

    SEA Games Organising Committee (Singsoc) exco chairman Lim Teck Yin, who is also Sport Singapore’s CEO, admitted that Aide Iskandar’s charges are under “a lot of pressure” following a 1-8 mauling by Japan’s Olympic team, a 1-2 defeat by Syria’s U-23s and a 1-3 loss to regional minnows Cambodia’s U-22 side this year. Coupled with poor displays from the senior Lions and their U-22 counterparts, Singapore’s national teams are still searching for their first win this year.

    Yet Lim, a former national water polo player, is urging true fans of Singapore football to back the Young Lions. He told The Straits Times on Wednesday: “Our SEA Games team is training hard and trying to do their best. For fans, it’s your turn now to step up.

    “For a fan to say ‘you perform then I come’, it’s sort of saying you’re not quite a fan. Fans are there for the highs and lows – they lift the team when they are low.

    “Singapore’s pride is at stake and regardless of how good or bad they are, this is our team.”

    Lim was speaking after leading President Tony Tan Keng Yam on his first tour of the Sports Hub in Kallang, where they met national athletes who are training for the Games.

    The Young Lions have been grouped with Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Philippines for the June 5-16 extravaganza. The football tournament will kick off on May 29, with tickets going on sale on May 6.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Lions Gold Medal Hunt Begins

    Lions Gold Medal Hunt Begins

    There is no doubt Aide Iskandar’s job is a tough one. His SEA Games-bound squad have been handed an easier group for the Under-23 football competition but the irony is that expectations will be higher for them to deliver a better result than their bronze medal performance in 2013.

    Singapore will host the 28th edition of the Games from June 5 to 16 and playing on home soil in front of a partisan crowd, the pressure will be massive.

    During today’s (April 15) draw for the competition at the Sports Hub, Aide’s under-23 side were placed in Group A with 2013 silver medallists Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines.

    The tougher Group B consists of defending champions Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei and Timor-Leste. The top two teams of each group will advance to the semi-finals but Singapore’s passage to the last four is anything but assured.

    In six friendly matches they played from January to March in their preparation for the Games, they lost five and drew one. Two of the losses were during a training stint in Turkey, including a 1-1 draw with Uzbekistan’s Under-21 side.

    On their return they were handed an 8-1 drubbing by Japan’s under-22 team, and they suffered a 3-1 defeat by Cambodia’s Under-22 side last month.

    With Indonesia a perennial threat and Myanmar also in the mix, Aide has his work cut out to whip the team into shape.

    He will only be able to assemble the entire team in May because the squad, made up of players from LionsXII and Courts Young Lions, have Malaysian Super League and S-League commitments.

    “As hosts we want to do well and we have to challenge ourselves to qualify for the semi-final,” said Aide. “But our final phase of training will only kick off from May 1, which is an important and critical period when we can work on team bonding and cohesiveness.”

    Team unity is an issue for the national Under-23 coach, particularly with talk among the fraternity that the poor attitude of some players is disrupting the team. Aide has engaged the help of former fellow Lions defender Kadir Yahaya, a reputed task master who steered Singapore’s Youth Olympics side to bronze in 2010.

    “He is a no-nonsense guy who is focused on results and won’t stand for prima donnas,” said former international Lim Tong Hai. “The team needs to be consolidated before the Games and between Aide and Kadir, they could probably do it.”

    Added former Lions midfielder Malek Awab: “The performance of the team during pre-Games matches in the last few months has not been encouraging.

    “We had stars like Fandi Ahmad and Sundram (ex-striker V Sundramoorthy) during my time in the national team and none of them were prima donnas. if they want to make anything of themselves, they must follow the instructions of the coaches. If not, it is going to be tough for them.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com