Singapore Men’s National Team Head Coach Tsutomu Ogura has selected 30 players for the provisional squad that will compete at the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 (ME Cup) this December.
The Lions are in Group A alongside Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Thailand and Malaysia. The ME Cup features 10 teams in two groups, with each team playing in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.
The upcoming tournament will be Ogura’s first regional test as Lions Head Coach as he leads Singapore into Southeast Asia’s flagship competition for the first time.
“We have prepared well in the lead up to the ME Cup. This is a tournament that means a lot to our fans and community. The players have shown great desire and hard work over the last few months to earn their place in this squad,” said Ogura.
“Now we must continue to raise our game so we can deliver performances that will make Singaporeans proud and help get results that we want.” Ogura has picked 30 players with a view of selecting the best available players for the ME Cup. The final squad of 26 men will be announced on Friday, 6 Dec.
There are five recalls in the provisional squad. The Lions have called up Raoul Suhaimi, Ryaan Sanizal, Iqbal Hussain, Syed Firdaus and 2012 ASEAN Championship winner Shahdan Sulaiman.
While Muangthong United midfielder Jacob Mahler misses out through injury, the Lions’ other foreign-based players will not join the squad due to domestic fixtures that take place across the duration of the ME Cup.
Ogura is poised to line up with a squad made up entirely of players plying their trade in the Singapore Premier League (SPL). “From September through to November we have prepared the team in expectation of this scenario, and also to handle demands of the ME Cup – including coping a tight fixture schedule,” said Ogura.
“Once again, I would like to thank SPL clubs for releasing their players for the National Team. We are also grateful to clubs like Lion City Sailors and BG Tampines Rovers for allowing their players to fight for the Singapore flag. I believe we are all ready to do Singapore proud.”
13 of the 30 players could be competing at the ASEAN stage for the first time in their careers. Rudy Khairullah, Jordan Emaviwe, Irfan Najeeb, Lionel Tan, Raoul Suhaimi, Ryaan Sanizal, Syed Firdaus, Joel Chew, Glenn Kweh, Kyoga Nakamura, Naqiuddin Eunos, Abdul Rasaq and Taufik Suparno are all in line to make their debut at ASEAN’s biggest tournament.
“This is the chance for the players to shine on the regional stage, make a name for themselves and bring pride to Singapore. I have seen the team improve over the last few months and start to deliver on the kind of football l am confident we can play,” said Ogura. “We are aiming to continue do better at the ME Cup.”
The Lions will kick off their quest for Southeast Asian glory on 11 Dec when they take on Cambodia at the National Stadium. That is followed by a trip to Vietnam to take on Timor-Leste on 14 Dec, and a home game against Thailand on 17 Dec before the group stage concludes with the Causeway derby as Singapore travel to Malaysia on 20 Dec.
Photo Credit: Football Association of Singapore and SNOC
WhatsThePlanPlease 