Iran and Jordan. These are the hounds who stand in Singapore’s way of qualifying for the 2011 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup Finals in Doha. With just two more qualifying matches to go, the Lions are all prepped up to leap into the fray with their claws drawn as they face two West Asian sides in the form of Iran and Jordan.
With two wins and two losses under their belt, the Lions have ample reason to create Singapore football history. Having bounced back from their sobering 3 – 1 defeat by Thailand on 14 November by beating them 1 – 0 four days later in Bangkok, the Lions have demonstrated their willpower and ability to claw their way back from the brink of disaster in the face of overwhelming odds.
That mental edge will indeed be vital in helping the Lions erase the memory of the painful 0 -6 loss to Iran almost a year ago. The Lions can expect a tough time at the National Stadium on 6 January 2010 as Iranian coach Ashfin Ghotbi will want to ensure his team maintain their position as leaders of the group.
The Lions currently sit in second place with six points, just one point behind Iran, while Thailand and Jordan are hot on their heels with five and four points each respectively. The pressure is enormous on all teams in the tightly contested Group E and with just two games left in the group, all four sides can still mathematically qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup. The top two sides qualify after all group matches end in March 2010.
Lions coach Radojko Avramovic, popularly known as “Raddy”, wants his team to give their best and deliver a result that will give Singaporeans a chance to support their team when 2011 beckons. The Lions know that a win against Iran on home soil will probably be good enough to take the team through to their second-ever Asian Cup competition. Singapore last participated in the Asian Cup in 1984 when the Lion City played hosts to the event.
”One win out of the two remaining matches is all we need to have a great chance to qualify for the Asian Cup finals and with a huge support from the fans, I am sure the boys will be inspired to go all the way,” said the Serbian.