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Singapore in 2034 World Cup. Can make it or not?

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
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Forum: Send promising young Singapore football players abroad to gain exposure​

Jan 10, 2023

I read the article, “Foreign talent push” (Jan 7), with much interest.
Instead of counting on foreign-born Lions, why not send our promising young players to play in foreign leagues?
I believe more can be done to create a pathway for our young people to play in a foreign league and gain more exposure.
Perhaps the Football Association of Singapore could forge a partnership with organisations in other countries to send our promising young national footballers there for training stints. The period of attachment could be from three to six months.
Sending our promising young national players overseas is one important aspect of nurturing their talent.
One need not look further than Ikhsan Fandi, a standout player in the current national team. Ikhsan’s spells with Norwegian clubs in the past did wonders to improve his skills and technical abilities. It would be good if more of our national players could follow in his footsteps.
We could start by sending promising Young Lions Joshua Pereira, Ryhan Stewart, Farhan Zulkifli, Shah Shahiran and Shawal Anuar for training stints abroad.

With correct grooming and professional guidance, our young footballers will blossom and do Singapore proud.

A. Thiyaga Raju
 

laksaboy

Alfrescian (Inf)
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Instead of counting on foreign-born Lions, why not send our promising young players to play in foreign leagues?

That is certainly an option, but keep your expectations modest e.g. the fourth division in Spain, relegation fodder in the Turkish second division. And on loan, no lengthy fat contracts.

Because that's your level.
 

Bad New Brown

Alfrescian
Loyal
The cronies which are sponsoring the Ass League now will not like it.

Reverting back to a semi-pro league will be a good suggestion so that the players can have a full-time job or career and not depend on playing soccer for a living. It also reduces the expectations achieving sea games gold medal and winning AFF Cup. I think in overall life will be less stressful if the national soccer teams had under achieved.
 

LITTLEREDDOT

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Football: What is happening today is the result of 10 years ago, says U-22 coach Philippe Aw​

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Singapore U-22's Jordan Emaviwe wins a header against Hong Kong U-22's Chan Yun Tung. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Ervin Ang
UPDATED

MAR 25, 2023

SINGAPORE – The Young Lions hunted and harried for 90 minutes, but lacked the finishing touch to break down a resilient Hong Kong Under-22 side as the home side fell 1-0 in Friday’s Merlion Cup semi-final.
Despite multiple shots on goal, Singapore’s U-22 team failed to convert any of their chances with striker Abdul Rasaq guilty of missing a trio of gilt-edged chances in front of 1,880 spectators at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
The hosts, led by head coach Philippe Aw, failed to retain their 2019 title; their first outright win in eight attempts since the tournament’s inception in 1982.
The defeat is an ominous sign ahead of the Republic’s upcoming May 5-17 Cambodia Games campaign. Since earning a bronze at the 2013 edition, Singapore have suffered four successive group-stage exits.
Aw suggested another decade of disappointment is in the offing. He said: “The boys pressed well and created chances but you need to score goals to win games. What is happening today is the cause of 10 years ago.
“I’ve been in Singapore football, coached for a long time and if we want success, we need to wait 10 years to see what we have put in place.
“We need to have more strikers in Singapore. It’s something that is affecting us. We have Rasaq and now Syahadat (Masnawi) as well but if you look younger – who are the strikers coming through?

“In the national team we have the Fandi brothers and after that we don’t have (anyone). We need to look at this from youth level to ensure there are enough strikers coming through.”
Aw’s 28-man squad, which comprised numerous uncapped players, featured only five players from the SEA Games team of 2022. Ryaan Sanizal is the only one of the five to be capped at senior level.
Aw added: “Even if we win the Merlion Cup, it does not guarantee we will do well in the SEA Games. I point you back in history – in 2019 when we won, we crashed out in the group stage.


“For me, this tournament is more about preparation to get a better understanding of the boys and for them to play at international level.”
The team’s inexperience showed from the first whistle. A nervy start gave Hong Kong the first opportunity of the game, with goalkeeper Aizil Yazid denying Sohgo Ichikawa in the eighth minute.
Regaining their composure, Singapore – playing a 4-3-3 formation – grew into the game and should have taken the lead if not for Lion City Sailors forward Rasaq misfiring a pair of good chances past the half hour mark.
After his close-range effort was blocked for a corner, Rasaq latched onto captain Harhys Stewart’s through ball but his tame strike in the six-yard area was parried by goalkeeper Ng Wai Him.
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Abdul Rasaq was denied by Hong Kong U-22 goalkeeper Ng Wai Him in the first half before Hong Kong took the lead. ST PHOTO: ARIFIN JAMAR
Against the run of play, the away side took the lead from a deep free kick in the 40th minute. Miscommunication between Ryaan and Aizil allowed Ichikawa to pounce on a loose ball.
The Young Lions created several chances in the second half but could not capitalise. Jordan Emaviwe, deployed as a left-winger, saw his 53rd-minute header from a corner saved by Ng. Minutes later, Nicky Melvin Singh’s flick came off the post, although the offside flag was raised, before Rasaq prodded wide from a loose ball.
In stoppage time, a hopeful long ball kindly fell into substitute Syahadat’s path, but the forward’s strike was stopped by Ng before Stewart’s follow-up was blocked.
Said Hong Kong head coach Szeto Man Chun: “The key to our success today is our fighting spirit.
“They sacrificed and the defenders covered for each other. Our high pressing in the first half was very successful but in the second half we were a bit more reactive.”
Hong Kong will face Malaysia, who beat Cambodia 4-2 in the other game, in Sunday’s final while Singapore meet the Cambodians in the earlier third-place play-off.
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
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Quote: "An SPL club official recently told ST that they tried to instil a healthier diet in the players and contracted a supplier to provide healthy bento boxes for them to consume after training. The official found most of them unopened in the bin outside the stadium."

Dear FAS, it’s time to be honest​

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Deepanraj Ganesan
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Singapore’s Jordan Emaviwe (right) getting kicked by Thailand's Phongsakon Trisat during their SEA Games match on April 30. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
UPDATED

MAY 8, 2023

Once again, it has happened and it is no surprise.
The Singapore men’s Under-22 football team have crashed out in the SEA Games group stage. The same night, the women’s team were eliminated.
It is now 10 years since the Young Lions made the semi-finals. The Lionesses – who returned to the biennial event only in 2022 – have never made the top four.
We know what happens next. A review by you – Football Association of Singapore (FAS) – will be conducted to pinpoint the fault areas. But we are still no closer to seeing improvement at the Games.
Perhaps, it is time to do things a little differently. Greatness comes from humility and Singapore football has to admit its shortcomings before building itself up again.
Greatness, and gold, is not what fans ask for, just a team they can get behind. It is time to be honest – with yourselves and with the stakeholders.
Accept that Singapore football is in the doldrums, that we are now minnows in the region.

And it is time to be transparent about where we stand and what needs to be done to correct the wrongs.
Singapore’s Under-22 head coach Philippe Aw said after a 1-0 loss to Hong Kong in the Merlion Cup semi-finals that another decade of disappointment is in the offing and added: “What is happening today is the cause of 10 years ago.”
A refreshingly honest assessment from a coach affiliated with you. His reward? He’s been shackled.


Your displeasure with his comments showed when The Straits Times requested an interview ahead of the SEA Games, only to be told it could be done via e-mail and not in person.
In ST’s conversations with your staff or coaches, they are always keen to discuss the reasons behind the continued decline, as long as the conversation is off the record.
How can it get better if Singapore football cannot admit its mistakes?
After the last Games exit in Hanoi, then Young Lions head coach Nazri Nasir admitted that a lack of preparation contributed to it.
He bemoaned the players’ involvement in the Singapore Premier League (SPL), which meant he had only a week to work with the Games squad, stating they needed more in-camp training and international games.

So, what happened this time?
Just 15 days before facing Thailand in the 2023 SEA Games opener, the bulk of the squad were playing an SPL game.
And before you dispute that the Young Lions training and playing in the league is part of preparation, three of their first 11 players were not eligible for the tournament and seven from the SEA Games team come from other clubs.
In contrast, Cambodia and Myanmar held training camps in Thailand. One of them may not make the last four but, at least, they prepared like a team who wanted to do well.
As for the Lionesses, in Hanoi, the team led by Stephen Ng finished third in their group but clinched their first win at the SEA Games since 1985.
Rather than build on that momentum, Ng mysteriously left in October 2022 and it took more than four months before a new man – Karim Bencherifa – was appointed.
He had just 63 days to prepare the women’s team for their first match against Thailand.
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Karim Bencherifa had just 63 days to prepare the women’s team for their first match against Thailand. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE


Compare that to the six-month training camp that the Cambodian women’s team underwent in China.
Honesty and accountability also extend to the players.
Are they giving their all to end the wretched run and help lift Singapore football out of the doldrums?
An SPL club official recently told ST that they tried to instil a healthier diet in the players and contracted a supplier to provide healthy bento boxes for them to consume after training.
The official found most of them unopened in the bin outside the stadium.

The Unleash the Roar! project that was launched in 2021 has promised to fix some wrongs.
Its executive committee chairman Eric Chua has also urged patience, comparing its work to making tonic soup and not instant noodles.
I agree with him that results do not happen overnight.
But we cannot continue to be served undercooked food.
And as the teams continue to flounder at tournaments, progress looks far away and it raises questions about the cooks behind the pot.
Let’s get serious, FAS.
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
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SEA Games: Young Lions coach admits lack of preparation contributed to group-stage exit​

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The Young Lions' involvement in the Singapore Premier League meant head coach Nazri Nasir had only a week to work with the SEA Games squad. PHOTO: SNOC
deepan.png

Deepanraj Ganesan


MAY 24, 2022

HANOI - A fourth straight SEA Games group stage exit could have been averted if there had been better planning for the Young Lions, head coach Nazri Nasir told The Straits Times on Tuesday (May 24).
Singapore's Under-23 side won just one of their four matches in Hanoi and finished third in their group behind Thailand and Malaysia and ahead of Cambodia and Laos.
Nazri, 51, acknowledged standards across the region have improved - his team drew 2-2 with Laos and narrowly edged past Cambodia 1-0 - and said the Republic was hampered by injuries to key personnel but felt the biggest factor was the less-than-ideal preparation.
The Young Lions' involvement in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) meant he had only a week to work with the SEA Games squad. He said: "We need the players to gel together. If we could have played more matches or had a (longer) training camp, it would have been better."
The team started centralised training on April 25 and played just one closed-door friendly, against SPL club Albirex Niigata, before they took on Laos on May 7.
Nazri added: "When you prepare for a tournament like the SEA Games, we need to have more time together. In-camp training, playing more international games is important.
"The intensity of the football (in the SPL) and the aggression is different. Looking forward, we should have more games, more time for the players to be together and give me more time to work with the club players. That's what I want for the future."

Hougang head coach Clement Teo, 55, felt the Young Lions looked more cohesive in their final two games, beating Cambodia and a battling 2-2 draw with Malaysia, after a poor start to their campaign. Singapore were hammered 5-0 by the Thais after rescuing a point against the Laotians.
Teo said: "Look at our last two matches. We showed fighting spirit and created good chances. It only shows that if we would have had better preparation, we could have done better."
He also highlighted the seemingly mixed messaging coming from the Football Association of Singapore; wanting the team to do well at the SEA Games yet having to fulfil their commitments in the SPL.


Teo added: "Sacrifices need to be made. If you want this team to do well at the SEA Games, then you need to prepare this team well enough to give them a chance. The next Games is in 2023, the preparation for that should start now and not at the last minute."
Aside from the lack of cohesion, former Balestier Khalsa head coach Khidhir Khamis, 36, said the Young Lions simply lacked sufficient talent.
He said: "If you look at Laos, Cambodia, they have hunger but also growing quality. They have improved leaps and bounds and that means their senior national teams are only going to get better.
"The gap between the Young Lions and the senior team is too wide. It's going to be a problem. I want to be optimistic about our future but we are in a difficult situation. We don't have the quality. We are banking on the likes of Hariss Harun and Shahdan Sulaiman who are already in their 30s.
"It's going to get worse before it gets better."
SPH Brightcove Video

Nazri was missing his captain Jacob Mahler and forward Ilhan Fandi through injury while Ilhan's two older siblings Irfan and Ikhsan, regular starters for the Lions, were unavailable as their Thai club BG Pathum United did not release them.
On criticism regarding his eventual 20-man Games squad selection, Nazri defended his choices. He said: "I have been in football for many years and I have played and coached high-level players.
"At the international level, technical ability is very important. Some perform well in SPL, but they can't do it at this level. Maybe they need more time.
"I picked what I felt was the best, I believed they could deliver and I chose players that fit my plan."
 

laksaboy

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Totalitarian regimes are shitty in football, because the bureaucrats can't help but micromanage, meddle and make everything into some perverse form of jingoistic campaign.

And that is why China is still shit in football. Sinkieland is just the Mini Me version of it. :cool:
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
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Commentary: Patience wearing thin as Singapore football flops again at SEA Games​

Singapore risks losing a generation of football fans if results continue to slide, says CNA's Matthew Mohan.

Commentary: Patience wearing thin as Singapore football flops again at SEA Games

Singapore's footballers react after conceding a goal in a 3-1 defeat by Vietnam at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games on May 3, 2023. (File photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)

Matthew Mohan

@MatthewMohanCNA
09 May 2023

PHNOM PENH: Another Southeast Asian (SEA) Games campaign, another elimination for the men's football team.
It has been 10 years since the Under-22 football team made it out of the group stages. That's five consecutive Games.
The last time Singapore made it to the men's football finals at the Games was in 1989. This writer was not born yet.
At this edition of the Games in Cambodia, the Young Lions have yet to win a match. Two losses and a draw mean that they are second from bottom in Group B. They were outclassed by both Thailand and Vietnam, arguably outplayed by Laos, and have a final game left to play, against Causeway rivals Malaysia on Thursday (May 11).
It hasn't been for want of trying, but one thing is abundantly clear - a gap is building between the top footballing nations in the region and Singapore.
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Singapore's Kieran Teo (No 5) and teammates react at the end of a 0-0 draw with Laos on May 6, 2023 that ensured they would not progress at the Southeast Asian Games. (Photo: Singapore National Olympic Council/Lim Weixiang)
Vietnam's head coach Philippe Troussier told reporters after his team's 3-1 victory over the Young Lions on May 3 that Thailand and Indonesia were among their main challengers at the Games. Tellingly, Singapore was not part of the equation.
"We know that in this competition it is not Laos and Singapore (that) are our challenge," he said. "But it is good to start the competition with this kind of result today to give my players confidence."
Singapore's national U-22 head coach Philippe Aw himself admitted to the gulf in standards between the Young Lions and Thailand.
After Singapore fell to the Thais in the Sea Games opening match, Aw said: “We strive to compete at that kind of level because they have competed at a high level. When they come back down to Southeast Asia, you can see the quality in their boys."
The Thai team competed at the U-23 Doha Cup last month, where they beat Qatar, drew against Saudi Arabia and narrowly lost to Kuwait.

FOR THE LONG HAUL​

This is where the ambitious Unleash the Roar (UTR) project is supposed to come in, to eventually bridge the gap. The national movement was announced by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong in Parliament during the Committee of Supply debate in 2021.
The central long-term goal is to raise Singapore's football standard across all levels and create a structured development system that can fuel the dreams of young players, with the World Cup 2034 as an "aspirational target".

UTR has eight pillars, covering areas such as scholarships, national service, as well as infrastructure. Objectives have been set for each pillar in the hope that they produce outcomes to support the project.
Speaking to CNA in 2022, current Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Eric Chua described the project as one for the “long haul".
"We are not talking about harvesting or reaping results this year, next year, or even in the next couple of years," said Mr Chua.
"In terms of actual results that we see on the pitch, on score-lines and all that, I think we're talking about a few years at least, but I think chiefly we want to focus on a few things."
One of these things is creating a youth development pipeline, with more than 10 School Football Academies already been set up and partners such as the La Liga providing coaches.
“We want to make sure that we have a healthy pyramid coming up to the high performance level,” he said then.
While the plans sound good in theory and will take time to bear fruit, fans' patience is running thin, and who can blame them? It won't be easy convincing a generation of fans who are slowly losing faith.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY​

While there were some bright spots in a dark tournament from the men's team goalkeeper Aizil Yazid, as well as the women's national team who put up a creditable fight throughout their campaign, it has been yet another sobering Games.
And most fans - the ones who follow the game closely at least - are aware that Singapore have over the last decade gone from kingpins to minnows.
A draw with Laos at the Games is no longer a shock, neither are losses to Thailand or Vietnam. At the senior level, it has been more than 10 years since the men's football team made the finals of the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
At the Games, Singapore have shuffled through three head coaches in as many tournaments.
Many will also remember Goal 2010 - Singapore's abandoned bid to get the national team to the 2010 World Cup. It's no wonder there is a cloud of pessimism surrounding football.
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Tempers fray between Singapore and Vietnam players during their 2023 SEA Games football match on May 3, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
Perhaps against the backdrop of the grand UTR project, it is time for self-reflection, and more importantly, action.
On social media, fans lament hearing tired platitudes of: "Down but not out", "we tried our best", and "we need time".
It is time for stakeholders to answer the hard questions: What went wrong? What are we doing to fix it? How do we ensure we don't repeat the same mistakes?
Fans know problems take time to fix. But what they would like to see is short-term action amid a long-term plan.

DISILLUSIONED FANS​

Before I became a journalist, I was first a sports fan.
I grew up on a staple diet of Singaporean sporting legends, watching in awe as Joscelin Yeo conquered the pool and Li Jiawei battled with the world's best table tennis players. But football was my first love.
My friends and I would flock with thousands of other fans to the old National Stadium, where we would cheer till our voices went hoarse. Players like Noh Alam Shah and Lionel Lewis and coach Radojko Avramovic were heroes to autograph-hunting youngsters like myself.
Suzuki Cup? World Cup Qualifiers? Friendlies? It didn't matter how big or small a match was, we'd be there.

Football fans from different generations will have different footballing heroes, but the shared love for the game is the same. Football used to bring joy.
This could go some way towards explaining the strong reaction on social media.
"Painful to watch Singapore football hit this level!" said one commenter on the Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) Facebook page after Singapore's draw with Laos.
"Something must be done FAS. Other countries weaker than us are improving fast but not us," said another.
Disillusionment, disenchantment and disappointment. As Singapore's footballing results continue to slide, we risk losing a generation of young football fans - UTR or otherwise. And if they don't support their national teams, nobody will.
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
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SEA Games 2023: Young Lions mauled 7-0 by Causeway rivals Malaysia​

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Singapore's Under-22 team went into the break 2-0 down and conceded five in the second half. PHOTO: FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA
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Deepanraj Ganesan
UPDATED

May 11, 2023

PHNOM PENH – Singapore suffered its worst defeat at the SEA Games football competition since 1971 after a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Causeway rivals Malaysia on Thursday.
The result at the Prince Stadium also meant that Singapore finished their 2023 SEA Games football tournament rock bottom in Group B. For the first time since 1987, the Republic ended their campaign with no victories to show for.
Singapore’s worst defeat at the Games was an 8-1 loss to Burma at the 1971 tournament in Kuala Lumpur.
At the 1987 Indonesia Games, Singapore played only two matches. This time, they could not muster a win in four matches.
The SEA Games football competition became an age-group tournament since 2001, with this edition for Under-22s only.
The Young Lions suffered 3-1 losses to Group B opponents Thailand and Vietnam in their opening two matches before settling for a 0-0 draw with Laos in their third match.
Singapore coach Philippe Aw said: “There was only one team in this game today and it was Malaysia. It was one-way traffic after we conceded.

“With regards to my future, it is not important at this current point. What we need to reflect on is if we don’t do anything going forward, we will just get worse.
“For me, I have been given a task to do this job with my staff. We have given our best and if it is not good enough, it’s OK, we can find the next person. Let’s look at the ecosystem, the process.
“I can step down and let someone else take over but we need to be fair to the next person who takes over. This has been ongoing for years. Let’s see how we can help the next person do this job better.
“I felt we were drawn into this group of death and the result shows where we are. The silver lining is that we have come in here and seen the difference in quality. I hope we go back and reflect and start doing things better and change for the better.”
On Thursday, Malaysia took a two-goal lead into half time before scoring five more goals in the second half. Malaysian midfielder Saravanan Thirumurugan bagged a hat trick.
The latest loss comes after the senior national team’s 4–1 defeat by Malaysia at the 2022 AFF Championship in January.
 
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