Rilek1Corner

Tag: Suzuki Cup 2014

  • Petition To Request FAS President Zainuddin Nordin To Step Down

    Petition To Request FAS President Zainuddin Nordin To Step Down

    Petition Background (Preamble):

    After a disastrous year following Singapore’s early group stage exit from the AFF Suzuki Cup on home soil, we seek current Football Association of Singapore’s president Mr Zainuddin’s understanding and kindly request him to step down from the role at the main football governing body in Singapore.

    While the current national coach may be responsible for the failure, we believe Mr Zainuddin’s administration for the sport in Singapore has resulted to such a debacle and he should take some responsiblity for the failure as well. We believe he is not up to the task as a top administrator for the number 1 sport in Singapore.

    In addition, he has several positions in his current portfolio including being a Member of Parliament, which may enable him not to put in 100% on developing football. We need a better football administrator who is fully dedicated to develop football, with vast football knowledge and experience and to bring Singapore to a brand new chapter of greater heights at a bigger stage out of Southeast Asia.

    And thus, we request Mr Zainuddin to step down as president of FAS for the sake of Singapore football.

    Petition:

    We, the supporters of Singapore football, call on Mr Zainuddin to step down as President of FAS for the sake of the sport in Singapore.

    Ciaran Chia

     

    Source: www.therealsingapore.com

  • Safuwan Baharudin: Everyone Involved Should Shoulder Blame For Lions’ Suzuki Cup Exit

    Safuwan Baharudin: Everyone Involved Should Shoulder Blame For Lions’ Suzuki Cup Exit

    By his own admission, it was not a good 2014 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup outing for Safuwan Baharudin.

    Two years ago, he and fellow Lion Baihakki Khaizan were feted as the region’s top central defensive pairing in Singapore’s winning campaign.

    But after their exit on Saturday from the group stage of this year’s competition, the team, their coach and the Football Association of Singapore are bearing the brunt of criticism from the football fraternity and fans who had expected more from the defending champions.

    While media reports have cited disharmony in the squad and dissatisfaction with head coach Bernd Stange as reasons for the poor showing, Safuwan would not be drawn to adding more fuel to the fire.

    Instead, the 23-year-old told TODAY: “(The blame for) Singapore’s exit from the Suzuki Cup has to be shouldered by everyone in the team and not just coach Bernd Stange. We cannot push all the blame on him. Every member of the team has to share the responsibility, Stange included.

    “But he is only the coach; he decides the line-up and the tactical formation, but at the end of the day, what the players do on the field decides the outcome of the game.

    “In short, all of us are in it together. Sink or swim.”

    Calling it a nightmare outing for the Lions, Safuwan said losses to Thailand and Malaysia showed that the team still had plenty to learn.

    “Especially in our attacking part of the game, we did not score a single goal from open play, apart from Khairul Amri’s header against Thailand,” he pointed out. “The other goals came from set pieces: Free-kicks and corner kicks.

    “We lacked creativity up front. We didn’t have someone brave and confident enough to take on opposing defenders in the 18-yard box and do the damage.”

    Until the free-kick he took, which resulted in Amri equalising against Malaysia, Safuwan’s campaign this year had been teetering on disaster. His handball late in the opener against Thailand led to the visitors’ winning penalty. In the following match, his foul on Myanmar striker Kyaw Ko Ko led to yet another penalty in a poor second half for the Lions that heralded the disaster against Malaysia.

    “I must admit that I had a very quiet tournament, especially in the opening two matches. But I know I had a better game against Malaysia, and I thought I could get better if we had entered the semi-finals,” said Safuwan.

    “The Suzuki Cup is over for us. We have the World Cup qualifiers next year. And while we’re frustrated with the early exit from the Suzuki Cup, maybe we should not dwell on it anymore and move on.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Lions Crash Out Of Suzuki Cup

    Lions Crash Out Of Suzuki Cup

    Defending champions Singapore are out of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2014 after a 3-1 loss to Malaysia at the National Stadium on Saturday (Nov 29).

    Both sides played out to a cagey first half, but Safee Sali put the Tigers ahead in the 61st minute after Hariss Harun fluffed clearance allowed the Malaysian striker slams the ball home from an angle.

    The Lions poured forward in search for an equaliser after that, and were rewarded in the 83rd minute.

    Safuwan Baharudin’s free kick is spilled by the Malaysian goalkeeper, and Khairul Amri was on hand to tap home.

    But the Lions’ joy was shortlived, as the referee pointed to the spot after Amri Yahyah went down in the penalty box in the dying stages.

    Safiq put the spot kick away to put the Malaysians 2-1 up.

    Indra Putra put the final nail in the coffin, passing the ball into an empty goal after Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny went up to the opposing penalty box in search of a goal for a corner as the Lions threw caution to the wind.

    The riot police were called in after the match, initially to deal with the the boisterous Malaysian fans, and later to handle the situation in front of the tunnel, where irate Singapore fans threw bottles at the referee.

    They were upset at the match officials for making several dubious calls against the Lions throughout the match.

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg