To be honest, I am not sure what is the approach of most Singaporean players playing in tournaments like the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Cup - an opportunity to gauge their worth against regional opponents at a higher competitive setting OR an extra burden to their domestic commitments that might affect their game?
And to be honest again, at this stage I still have doubts that the Singapore Premier League (SGPL) is an ideal platform to allow Singaporean players to showcase their worth to the regional market given the lack of intensity and competitiveness in recent years, as compared to some Football Association of Singapore (FAS) top officials envisage for (if I'm not wrong).
And to be honest again, at this stage I still have doubts that the Singapore Premier League (SGPL) is an ideal platform to allow Singaporean players to showcase their worth to the regional market given the lack of intensity and competitiveness in recent years, as compared to some Football Association of Singapore (FAS) top officials envisage for (if I'm not wrong).
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| Home United's (red) 2018 AFC Cup run was a rare success in ongoing doldrums |
That is why it is important for SGPL clubs to do well in the AFC Cup or at the higher tier AFC Champions League (ACL), if given the chance to do so, when recent years' results have been poor except for Home United's relatively good run in 2018 saw them crowned as the Asean zonal champions of this second-tier club competition in Asia.
While national coach Tatsuma Yoshida's astuteness saw him field a few players with little or no AFC Cup experience but did decently okay to justify their selection, it is still useful and worthwhile for local footballers who yet to earn a cap to aim for a chance to play in these continental tournaments to see how they fare against regional peers.
While national coach Tatsuma Yoshida's astuteness saw him field a few players with little or no AFC Cup experience but did decently okay to justify their selection, it is still useful and worthwhile for local footballers who yet to earn a cap to aim for a chance to play in these continental tournaments to see how they fare against regional peers.
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| This view by Coach Raddy changed my opinion completely (as credited) |
It is because I still agree with what former national coach Raddy Avramovic who once stressed the importance to perform well in tournaments like AFC Cup at the club level so that Singapore players can know what to expect when playing for the Lions at the international level where pace and fitness are much more demanding than in the domestic game.
A good showing against regional sides in AFC Cup is a good testament for SGPL clubs and Singaporean players that they can compete head to head with their regional peers.
We cannot simply say this particular player has been outstanding in SGPL and that's why is he ready to be poached by overseas sides when exposure at tournaments like AFC Cup could be something value add to his profile.
A good showing against regional sides in AFC Cup is a good testament for SGPL clubs and Singaporean players that they can compete head to head with their regional peers.
We cannot simply say this particular player has been outstanding in SGPL and that's why is he ready to be poached by overseas sides when exposure at tournaments like AFC Cup could be something value add to his profile.
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| An unforgettable journey of the Tigers (as credited) |
Furthermore, playing in AFC Cup provides an opportunity for our players how their follow peers live when long distance travelling to games is part and parcel of their supposed livelihood when moving around to any part of Singapore is almost within an hour's reach, unless they are caught in a traffic jam.
Remember, it is at an AFC tournament, not something obscurity at your backyard that regional clubs would prefer to see if our local footballers can make it or break it or not before waving the cheques.
Get out now to prove a point!
Remember, it is at an AFC tournament, not something obscurity at your backyard that regional clubs would prefer to see if our local footballers can make it or break it or not before waving the cheques.
Get out now to prove a point!
Can’t agree with you more. But then again for club football in Asia, imports are often the key and due to constraints of budget and league rules, our clubs haven’t been able to gain an advantage with their imports against other teams.
ReplyDeleteThis year is a slight improvement as the league rule allow 4 foreigners, though one has to be U21. Tampines quartet of Kyoga Nakamura, Zehrudin Mehmedovic, Jordan Webb and Boris Kopitovic looks exciting, especially Kopitovic who is the joint 2nd top scorer in the Montenegro top flight with 8 goals and stands at 1.89m. Hopefully he can get lots of goal and Tampines can do well this year.
(Will also be a big year for the Tampines young defenders, the likes of Amirul Adli and Syahrul Sazali has to take charge)