Lions Squad Announced: Strategic Friendlies to Prep for ASEAN Championship
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| Lions Coach Tsutomu Ogura listening attentively to a question |
National coach Tsutomu Ogura announced his squad of twenty-eight players during a media briefing held this afternoon (28/8) at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Notable selections by the former Japanese national assistant coach include the return of Lion City Sailors' goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud, and Balestier Khalsa defender Darren Teh. Geylang International's Zikos and Hougang United's Ajay Robson have also earned their first call-ups to the senior squad.
FIFA DATES AGAINST J1 TEAMS, JDT, AND STAGS
Another noteworthy announcement made during the briefing was the scheduling of closed-door friendly matches against Singapore Premier League side BG Tampines Rovers and Malaysian giants Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) during the September FIFA match window (2-10 September) at the Kallang Football Hub.A training tour to Japan is planned for October, during which the Lions are set to face three different J1 clubs in that month's FIFA match window (7-15 October).
| FAS Technical Director Micheal Browne |
When questioned by the media about the decision to schedule matches against club teams rather than national sides for both FIFA match windows, Coach Ogura explained that these arrangements are intended to prepare the team for the upcoming 2024 ASEAN Championship, also known as the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup (AFF ME Cup).
It was also revealed that October's training camp is tailored to simulate the conditions the Lions will encounter during the regional biennial tournament by having the team travel to different locations for these friendlies.
However, friendly fixtures against Chinese Taipei and Myanmar are already pencilled before the commencement of the AFF ME Cup. The tournament's group stage matches will commence on 8 December, followed by the two-legged semi-finals on 26, 27, 29, and 30 December, with the finals set for 2 and 5 January 2025.
PLANS FOR YOUTHS AND WOMEN
Earlier in the day, Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Technical Director Michael Browne and National Women's Team Head Coach Karim Bencherifa presented their assessments within their respective scopes.Both Browne and Coach Bencherifa highlighted some of the issues they faced during their work and how they intended to address them.
| National Women Head Coach Karim Bencherifa |
While the former Woodlands Wellington coach acknowledged there are some improvements made since assuming the role in July 2022, Browne opined that the various national youth teams must play more frequently at the appropriate level and intensity to continue progressing.
Meanwhile, Coach Bencherifa's plans for advancing the women's game include integrating younger players with their more experienced counterparts to enhance skill levels. He also proposes organising sparring matches against male teams, aiming to present the challenges necessary to elevate their performance.