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SINGAPORE: National coach Radojko Avramovic was not a happy man on Wednesday, after news emerged of indiscipline and a lack of professionalism among some members of his squad, one week after Singapore's bid to qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup Finals ended in defeat.
The Lions lost 2-1 to Jordan in Amman last Wednesday and The Straits Times cited incidents prior to the game and during half-time which could have contributed to the Lions' downfall: Two players were seven minutes late for the team bus on matchday, while another player was allegedly spotted sneaking a smoke in the dressing room toilet at half-time.
Avramovic insisted there was not much more he could have asked of his charges in Amman.
"We didn't achieve the result we wanted in Jordan, but I cannot complain about the effort and commitment the players showed in training. They were excellent," said the 60-year-old Serb.
"The incident with the team bus, it was the one time that anyone was late for anything, and while smoking is not encouraged in the team, none of the officials spotted the (alleged) smoker," he added.
Speaking to MediaCorp from Indonesia, Lions' skipper Noh Alam Shah vouched for the discipline of his team in Amman.
"Throughout the five days of preparations, you can't say that we showed any indiscipline. We slept early, followed the itinerary, and no one tried to go out at night," he said.
"I even helped check. This was one of the away camps where we showed the most team unity. I can't see much that we did wrong during the preparation.
"We lost the match because we couldn't concentrate for 90 minutes on the pitch and were punished," the 29-year-old added.
The two players who were late for the bus could now face repercussions, according to Avramovic.
"The players were late for the bus on match-day, and that was not the right time to take action. But I have put it in my report as per the normal procedure, and if the disciplinary committee see fit, they will take action," he said.
Sniffing out the culprit
MediaCorp understands that the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) are looking into the smoking allegations and, if found guilty, appropriate action will be taken against the errant player.
"They are professionals and adults, and they must realise that if they smoke their playing age and time will be shortened. We cannot be checking on them all the time," insisted Avramovic.
The coach vowed he would put his foot down if he felt the unity of the team was being compromised, and according to Alam Shah, the Serb always means business.
"Raddy is capable of bringing Singapore forward, and if he feels that there are players who are below his expectations, they will have to take a reality check, because he will not hesitate to drop them, like he dropped me in 2003 for a while," said the forward.
Said FAS general secretary Winston Lee: "We will learn from this. I know that Raddy and his team will do better the next time round.
"Raddy has proven his capabilities and I am confident he has the capacity to bring Singapore football to the next level." - TODAY/fa
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