Stirring Lions create selection headache World Cup qualifiers clash with SEA Games tourney leaving FAS to decide where focus will be

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SINGAPORE - What a difference 180 minutes of football make.

From a state of emergency, where both fans and belief had deserted the national football team after a calamitous 2010, the Lions have turned things 180 degrees around.

After two stirring showings against Malaysia, ending 6-4 after two legs, the Lions are through to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers, leaving the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) with a headache of a different kind.

With at least four players key to both the SEA Games squad and the senior Lions side, they now have to decide if the focus will be on achieving the set target of a silver medal at the November SEA Games or making it into the final group stage of the World Cup qualifiers.

FAS president Zainudin Nordin is well aware of the bridge that needs to be crossed soon but his team have at least decided when they will make the call.

"We are in with a fighting chance of making the fourth round of the qualifiers, and also stand a good chance at the SEA Games. We are already cracking our heads to resolve this, but we don't want to jump the gun," he told Today.

"The first two matches in the qualifiers are critical, and will give us an indicator of where we stand. We will look at how we perform in those two games and decide after that."

Facing China, Jordan and Iraq in Group A of the third round qualifiers, Singapore's schedule will see them open their campaign in Kunming on Sept 2, then return to host Iraq four days later.

But it is the November fixtures, away to Jordan on Nov 11 and a home game against China on Nov 15 that will prove problematic.

The SEA Games are scheduled to run from Nov 11-22, and while exact dates for the Games' under-23 football tournament are not yet available, it is virtually impossible to have players turn out for both the SEA Games squad and the senior team at the qualifiers.

At least four players - midfielder Hariss Harun, goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud, defender Safuwan Baharudin and attacker Shahdan Sulaiman - are shoo-ins for a starting spot at the SEA Games, and they are also key to national coach Radojko Avramovic's plans for the senior team.

Izwan earned plaudits against Malaysia, the 21-year-old turning in a steady performance between the Singapore sticks in the absence of the injured Hassan Sunny and Lionel Lewis.

He said: "Both are big tournaments, and I would love to be able to play in both if possible, but it's really up to the coaches to decide which team we train and play for."

His sentiment was echoed by Safuwan, who showed a maturity beyond his 19 years in his two starts against Malaysia.

He said: "The Courts Young Lions are doing well and I think we're moving close to peaking at the SEA Games but I think if the senior team does well in the first two World Cup qualifying matches, we'll probably stay with the seniors. But that's for the coaches to decide.

"We may have played in the first XI for the national team, but that doesn't mean that if we're not with the SEA Games team then they can't perform - there are others who can step in and do the job.

"I think the SEA Games team will manage just as well without us."