Young Lions have learnt from losses, going to SEA Games with 'clean slate', says head coach Firdaus Kassim
The Young Lions recently finished bottom of their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup qualifying group.
Young Lions head coach Firdaus Kassim. (Photo: FAS)
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SINGAPORE: After finishing last in their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup qualifying group, and rooted to the foot of the domestic league, it has been a torrid few months for Singapore's U-22 men's football team.
But ahead of the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, Young Lions head coach Firdaus Kassim said that the team has learnt from past losses and will tackle the tournament afresh.
While it's "very easy" to dwell on poor results, "we're going to the SEA Games on a clean slate," he told CNA during the team's media day on Monday (Nov 24).
"What we always take from the previous game ... is always going to be the positive things. And we are very positive because of the way that we carry ourselves in these games," he said.
The Young Lions, who have yet to win a competitive game since Firdaus' appointment in June, will face reigning champions Indonesia, as well as Myanmar and the Philippines in the group stage at the upcoming tournament.
They will kick off their campaign against Indonesia on Friday next week (Dec 5).
The winners of the three groups will progress to the knockout rounds, together with the best second-placed side.
"We are going to ... put our whole focus and mind into this first game against Indonesia ... What happens after that can set the tone for the rest of the tournament," said Firdaus.
"Looking at the personality (of the team), and how we've been training, and how the players are in the past few weeks, I'm confident that we can deliver a very strong performance."
Singapore's footballing track record at the SEA Games has been dire in recent years.
At the last edition, the men's football team finished with a draw and three losses – the worst of which was a 7-0 drubbing by Malaysia.
That was Singapore's heaviest defeat at the Games since the competition became an age-group affair in 2001. It has been over a decade since the team made it out of the group stages.
"Every fan wants to win. If I were normal football fan instead of a coach, I would expect, or I would want, Singapore to win as well. But the pressure from the outside doesn't have any impact on us," said Firdaus.
"We can only control the things that we we can control ... and that's more important for me."
"CONTEXT MATTERS"
Earlier this year, the Young Lions were left out of the provisional list for the Games. But the team appealed successfully, playing out two closed-door friendlies, with a win and a draw, to strengthen the case for the team's inclusion.
However, they lost all three of their AFC Under-23 Asian Cup qualifying group games in September, to Yemen (1-2), Vietnam (0-1) and Bangladesh (1-4).
Between September and October, the team lost all its five matches in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
However, Firdaus stressed that with these results, "context matters".
"The international games have always been very, very competitive games, teams who rank so much higher than us. These are the games that the players need to expose themselves (to) at this level, to know the benchmark of Asian football," he said.
Firdaus added he also has to keep one eye on the long term development of the players.
"Given that the fact now Singapore is qualified for the Asian Cup ... It's my task, responsibility and duty to also prepare these boys to make sure that in two years time ... the players are ready," he said.
"The only way to be ready if they're exposed to quality opposition, and playing against high level, quality oppositions ... might equate to a lot of losses."
In the domestic league, every team is entitled to field up to seven foreign players. However, Firdaus added that he has not fielded the full number, with developmental goals in mind.
"We could have gotten better results in SPL when we play with some foreigners, but it doesn't paint the full picture, because then you're going to SEA Games with minimal preparation for these guys," he said.
At a recent training camp in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the team also lost both its friendlies against the UAE U-22 and Iraq U-22 sides.
"I was pleasantly very, very surprised with the outcome and the performance," said Firdaus.
"The decisions that the coaching staff takes in a competition and a friendly game is different, because in friendly games, for example, you are willing to take much more risk in the selection of the players, with the tactics that you want to do. But in competition, obviously, we are going to go in a competition mode."
At the SEA Games, the Young Lions want to deliver a performance that carries "pride for the badge", said Firdaus.
"Regardless of the results, hopefully this is a campaign that we can all remember as well."
