Misfiring Lions aim to sharpen attack ahead of Asian Cup qualifier

Singapore coach Tsutomu Ogura (left) and forward Ikhsan Fandi during a press conference ahead of the June 5 friendly with the Maldives. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN

Deepanraj Ganesan

UPDATED Jun 05, 2025, 12:35 AM

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SINGAPORE – The Lions have set a target of qualifying for the Asian Cup, but the mission to reach the 2027 edition in Saudi Arabia could be hamstrung by a lack of goals. In their last five matches, Singapore managed to find the net just once.

It is a worrying statistic ahead of the crucial Asian Cup third-round Group C qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka on June 10.

The Lions kicked off their campaign with a 0-0 home draw against Hong Kong on March 25, while Bangladesh’s visit to India also ended goal-less. Only the group winners will advance to the tournament.

Before the duel in Dhaka, world No. 161 Singapore will host the 164th-ranked Maldives on June 5 at the Bishan Stadium in an international friendly as they seek to rediscover their scoring touch.

It is a task made harder by the unavailability of Shawal Anuar – who has 26 goals in 42 league and continental matches this season – as he is set to undergo a medical procedure during this period. 

The goal-scoring responsibility is likely to fall on the returning Ikhsan Fandi, who has not featured for Singapore since last June, or his younger brother Ilhan.

BG Tampines Rovers’ Taufik Suparno and Faris Ramli, and newcomer Amir Syafiz of the Young Lions are the team’s other forwards. Song Ui-young’s Lions recall after a year-long absence due to family matters will also come as a boost.

For Ikhsan, who has had an injury-riddled season with Thai side BG Pathum United, it is about making up for lost time. Due to an issue with his right knee and a quadriceps injury, the 26-year-old saw limited game time with his club this season and was unable to nail down a starting role.

He scored three goals in eight starts and 13 substitute appearances across four competitions.

“I’m feeling good, confident and happy, and I’m ready to help the national team,” said Ikhsan, who has bagged 18 goals in 38 international appearances.

“Yes, it’s been a difficult season. A lot of setbacks and I couldn’t get consistency or rhythm. I want to prove myself and get back to the level where I should be at.”

Watching the team struggle to score has affected him too and motivated him to stay fit and seek more regular playing time. Ikhsan said Pathum have allowed him to leave on loan next season.

While he declined to confirm details, ST understands that Ratchaburi FC, who finished fourth in the 16-team Thai top flight, will be his most likely destination.

Ikhsan said: “I want to be starting matches. To be honest, I feel sad whenever I’m not called up, or whenever I’m not available, because I feel like some responsibility has been put on me (to be the main goal-getter for the national team).”

Ilhan Fandi (second from right) during Singapore’s training session on June 4, 2025, ahead of the international friendly match between Singapore and Maldives at the Bishan Stadium on June 5. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN

For Ilhan, it will be about building on the recent season, which saw him named the Young Player of the Tournament at the Asean Club Championship. In 30 games for Pathum, he scored seven goals and notched four assists.

It was enough to earn the admiration of Thai champions Buriram United, who are set to sign the 22-year-old forward on loan, ST understands.

On the Lions’ upcoming matches, Ilhan said: “While not having Shawal is a big miss, it’s down to the other players to show that they deserve to be in the national team. I feel like I am in a good run of form, so I feel very confident against the Maldives and Bangladesh.”

There is a possible wild card in Amir, who has earned his first senior national team call-up after a strong second half of the season.

The 20-year-old, who had predominantly featured in central midfield since his Singapore Premier League debut in 2021, was thrust into the forward’s role in January after Japanese striker Itsuki Enomoto left for Tampines.

Since the start of the year, Amir has netted six goals for the developmental side.

Amir Syafiz (left) alongside Song Ui-young and Safuwan Baharudin during a training session ahead of the international friendly match between Singapore and Maldives. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN

Amir could also be on the move at club level, having received offers from several local teams. However, he said he will decide on his next step only after the international fixtures, adding that staying with the Young Lions remains a possibility.

While he is viewing his maiden call-up as an opportunity to learn from his senior teammates, he also hopes to be given a chance to impress. Amir said: “I hope I can start or contribute. But I think this call-up is a stepping stone for me. I want to learn as much as I can from the senior players like Ikhsan and Ilhan, so that I can step up when needed .”

At the pre-match press conference on June 4, Lions coach Tsutomu Ogura urged his team to up the ante in the creativity department.

“We need to create more chances. The delivery is also important. It is also important that we don’t give up and keep trying to create chances ,” said the Japanese tactician.

Meanwhile, Maldives coach Ali Suzain is looking for an improvement from his team after they lost 4-1 to the Philippines in their opening qualifier.

He said: “We are looking for better defensive and midfield organisation, so that is what we will be (working on) in this match.”

Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports journalist at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news.

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