LIONSXII dominate Singapore squad
A staggering 18 players from Malaysia Super League outfit LIONSXII have been called up to Singapore's 35-man preliminary squad for next month's AFF Suzuki Cup.
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
That means less than half of the list of players called up come from the Great Eastern-YEO's S.League, with Tampines Rovers, Home United, SAFFC and Courts Young Lions each providing three players apiece.
Leading the way for the LIONSXII contingent are captain Shahril Ishak, experienced centre-back Baihakki Khaizan and midfield general Hariss Harun, while youngsters Shakir Hamzah, Yasir Hanapi, Safirul Sulaiman and Raihan Rahman are all in the running to play in Southeast Asia's most-prestigious international tournament for the first time in their fledgling careers.
Tampines stalwarts Aleksandar Duric and Mustafic Fahrudin are some of the bigger names that are currently plying their trade in Singapore's top flight that Lions coach Radojko Avramovic has given the nod to, along with Home duo Shi Jiayi and Qiu Li, and SAFFC skipper Daniel Bennett.
Young Lions trio Fazli Ayob, Nazrul Nazari and Zulfahmi Arifin have all been given a chance to shine, while Balestier Khalsa duo Joey Sim and Hamqaamal Shah have been rewarded for playing their part in 6th-placed Balestier Khalsa's fine campaign with a call-up.
Ten of the 22 players that have been called up were part of the Singapore side that last won the competition in 2007, including Shahril, Baikhakki, Khairul Amri and Ismail Yunos, who has had an impressive season with Gombak United.
Preliminary Singapore squad for 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup
Goalkeepers: Izwan Mahbud, Hyrulnizam Juma'at (both LIONSXII), Joey Sim (Balestier Khalsa), Hassan Sunny (SAFFC)
Defenders: Ismail Yunos (Gombak United), Shaiful Esah, Baihakki Khaizan, Irwan Shah, Safuwan Baharudin, Juma'at Jantan, Shakir Hamzah (all LIONSXII), Delwinder Singh (Tanjong Pagar United), Daniel Bennett (SAFFC), Jufri Taha (Tampines Rovers), Hamqaamal Shah (Balestier Khalsa)
Midfielders: Isa Halim, Shahdan Sulaiman, Hariss Harun, Shahril Ishak, Firdaus Kasman, Yasir Hanapi, Safirul Sulaiman, Raihan Rahman (all LIONSXII), Shi Jiayi, Firdaus Idros (both Home United), Fazli Ayob, Nazrul Nazari, Zulfahmi Arifin (Courts Young Lions), Mustafic Fahrudin (Tampines Rovers), Hafiz Rahim (Gombak United)
Forwards: Aleksandar Duric (Tampines Rovers), Fazrul Nawaz (SAFFC), Qiu Li (Home United), Khairul Amri, Agu Casmir (both LIONSXII)