Kadir Yahaya confirms Singapore U-15 football squad for YOG

Contributed by Eric Ong

Singapore, Saturday, July 31, 2010 — Singapore U-15 coach Kadir Yahaya has confirmed his final list of 18 players to represent the country in the football competition of the upcoming Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

The squad of 18 players includes nine players from the Singapore Sports School. Apart from defender Illyas Lee, midfielder Bryan Neubronner and forward Hazim Faiz, the remaining squad members were in the Singapore U-14 team that took part in the Asian Youth Games last year.

Also named in the list are four players on standby – Azrin Hamdan, Fatemy Firdouse, Osalli Rahim and Nursha’aban Razali – who will continue to train with the squad. Under competition regulations, teams can name replacements to their initial list of 18 at the team managers’ meeting prior to the start of the competition only in the case of injuries.

“It was a very tough decision to choose the 18 boys,” said Kadir. “All of them had worked very hard throughout the year and made it very hard for me to drop them. Over the past six months, all the players had ample opportunities to fight for their place in the squad through matches and two overseas training tours.

“We started with 32 boys and over the months, we trimmed that number down. The players who are not in the final 18 will still be part of the National Football Academy.”

Singapore kick off their YOG football campaign against Zimbabwe on Friday 13 August 2010.

Finalized YOG squad
Goalkeepers
Fashah Iskandar (Sports School)
Hamzah Fazil (Hong Kah Sec)

Defenders
Syazwan Radhi (Sports School)
Jeffrey Lightfoot (captain) (Victoria School)
Illyas Lee (Sports School)
Dhukhilan Jeevamani (Punggol Sec)
Irfan Asyraf (Sports School)
Firdaus Sham (Hong Kah Sec)

Midfielders
Amirul Iskandar (Sports School)
Amirul Emmran (Hong Kah Sec)
Brandon Koh (Sports School)
Hanafi Akbar (Sports School)
Sunny Ng (St Gabriel’s Sec)
Jonathan Tan (Tanjong Katong Sec)
Bryan Neubronner (SJI International)

Forwards
Syazwan Zin (Greenview Sec)
Muhaimin Suhaimi (Sports School)
Hazim Faiz (Sports School)

Players on standby:
Nursha’aban Razali (Fuchun Sec)
Azrin Hamdan (Victoria School)
Fatemy Firdouse (Sports School)
Osalli Rahim (Bedok View Sec)