'The Dazzler' takes charge With Avramovic banned, Sundram will guide Lions from the touchline

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2011 Sultan of Selangor's Cup

Selangor vs Singapore

SHAM ALAM - He stepped out onto the Shah Alam Stadium green last night in a training match and showed off some of the silky touches that got Singapore out of many tight situations in the past, and earned him the nickname "The Dazzler".

While he let his feet do the talking during his heyday in the 1980s and 90s, V Sundramoorthy will operate from the sidelines on Oct 11, giving out instructions to the Lions as they look to salvage their World Cup qualifying campaign at home to Jordan.

On Thursday, The New Paper reported that Singapore coach Radojko Avramovic had been handed a four-match touchline ban and a €6,000 (S$10,500) fine for lashing out at referee Andre El Haddad in their 2-1 loss to China in the opening match of the third round qualifiers on Sept 2 in Kunming.

Drawn in Group A, Singapore then fell to Iraq 2-0 at the Jalan Besar Stadium and, with the top two moving on to the fourth round, a win over Jordan is a must if the Lions harbour any hope of advancing.

Sundram, 45, the specialist striker coach for the national team, will now assume the role of assistant national coach while Avramovic serves his ban.

Speaking to Today ahead of the Lions' clash with Selangor in the Sultan of Selangor's Cup tonight, he said: "I'm there to assist and pass instructions to the team. I just want to contribute to Singapore football in any way I can, the title is not important."

Avramovic had already served what was initially thought to be a one-match ban in the Iraq fixture, with fitness coach Aleksandar Bozenko relaying instructions.

At the time, Sundram had yet to be accredited to sit on the team bench, and could only give the half-time pep talk in the dressing room.

But, with Fifa increasing the punishment on the 61-year-old Avramovic, the Football Association of Singapore moved to get permission for Sundram to take his position on the Lions' bench.

Said Avramovic: "I don't see any problem, we have good communication, Sundram's been working with this team for most of this year already, and he's already done some of this in the Iraq match.

"Like any other game, we will try to predict how our opponents will play, the different scenarios that may arise, and prepare the team to react to these situations."

Sundram, who has had coaching experience with Jurong FC in the S-League and with the Young Lions, went about his work with little fuss yesterday, stepping out onto the pitch to set up the training area and subsequently giving instructions and words of encouragement to the players.

The touchline ban means Avramovic will have to stay away from the technical area and dressing room, a fact that still draws his ire.

"It is disappointing because I don't think that (the four-match ban) is an appropriate punishment, but obviously there are those who don't agree," he said.

Tonight's match against Selangor is the first warm-up fixture for the Lions, who will face the Philippines on Friday before taking on Jordan.

The Malaysian side will provide a stern test for the Lions, with former Liverpool star Jason McAteer and Jesper Blomqvist, a member of Manchester United's historic treble-winning side of 1999, making guest appearances for the hosts.

Said Avramovic: "The game is a good opportunity for the team to play together again ... I want the players to express themselves, and of course to try and win the game."



Probable Singapore first XI:

Lionel Lewis, Ruzaini Zainal, Safuwan Baharudin, Daniel Bennett, Shaiful Esah, Noh Rahman, Shi Jiayi, Hafiz Rahim, Shahril Ishak, Fazrul Nawaz, Aleksandar Duric