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KORAT, Thailand: His Lions have taken on Japan in their own den, with thousands of partisan fans baying from the terraces his men stood firm for long periods against the might of China.
Iraq have been dispatched and Kuwait run close in their own city.
As coach of the Singapore national team, Radojko Avramovic has had some truly tough assignments. Tuesday night, he faces another such assignment.
It is not a World Cup qualifier or an Asian Cup mission, but facing a revved up Thailand in a SEA Games semi-final, with a whole nation pumped for revenge, few will envy the Serb.
Especially when skipper Baihakki Khaizan is suspended and central defensive partner Shariff Samat is ruled out by injury.
The coach did seem upbeat when TODAY dropped in during a two-hour session at the Surapala Keetha Sathan Stadium Monday.
When asked if this evening's game may even be his toughest yet, Avramovic conceded it was pretty close.
"Difficult? Every game is difficult. There are problems in this match but we have to cope with what we have," he said. "In every game, there are difficulties to overcome.
"Most importantly, I trust that the players will respond well to the challenge.
"After all, there will be a full stadium of 20,000 people and we are playing very good opponents.
"Their supporters will be there and that will be good motivation for everyone.
"This is a good chance to compare the Thai players with ours and take a look at the future of South-east Asian football."
While the Thais have insisted they have forgotten the bad-tempered first leg of their ASEAN Championship Final in January against the Lions at the National Stadium, one cannot but help feel they are gunning to set the record straight, even if this is an under-23 competition.
In the absence of Baihakki and Shariff, Shahril Alias and Ismail Yunos will have the unenviable task of plugging the gap at the heart of the Singapore defence and stand guard against Thai strikers Teeratep Winothai and Anon Sangsanoi.
In their three games in Group A, Thailand have scored 13 goals and conceded just three, their total of 54 shots on goal against Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia is a clear indication of their vibrant attacking style.
Teeratep and Anon have already contributed four goals apiece.
Aware of the twin threat, especially from Teeratep — the youngster scored a hat-trick at the 2005 SEA Games final against Vietnam following developmental stints at Crystal Palace and Everton — Avramovic knows full well Shahril and Ismail face a mammoth task.
But the Serb said: "Shahril has played stopper for Home United before.
"It will be difficult but I expect him to try his best. The two Thai attackers will be difficult to deal with. But we won't change our style. We always play to score and it will be the same way again."
Much will depend on goalkeeper Hassan Sunny, who has been a revelation in the tournament so far.
He has faced Teeratep five times and the speedy forward has put three goals past him. "I've seen Teeratep up close and know what he is capable of," said the 23-year-old. "Technically, he is very good. Whether he's inside or outside the box, Teeratep is an extremely dangerous player.
"I'm ready to have a really busy night."
Beat Thailand and a gold medal clash with Vietnam or Myanmar beckons on Friday for Avramovic.
First though, he has to successfully negotiate past yet another tough assignment. - TODAY/ac
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