Surface tension in the Lions' den Jordanian coach Adnan unhappy with Jalan Besar pitch, but his team are in a confident mood

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Asian Zone World Cup qualifier, Group A

Singapore vs Jordan

SINGAPORE - Offering only a soft greeting, he walked right past everyone and onto the artificial turf at the Jalan Besar Stadium yesterday testing the surface with the soles of his feet.

Adnan Hamad's Jordan side had arrived on Friday but last night was their first taste of the arena which will stage their clash with Singapore tomorrow in their Group A World Cup qualifier.

He stopped in the middle of the park, hands akimbo and then look up at the stands.

It was clear Adnan was not a happy man.

Just like Iraq coach Zico, whose side came here and won 2-0 on Sept 6 in the Lions' previous qualifier, it was the plastic playing surface that was the source of Adnan's ire.

Speaking after putting his team through a 90-minute training session last night, he said: "For a national team playing in a Fifa World Cup qualifier you need a big stadium. And this field is not good for football.

From what I see, it will be difficult for us."

Adnan's charges did not look too bothered by the turf, though. The players were relaxed and comfortable on the ball. After wins over China and Iraq, they lead the group and goalkeeper Amer Shafia was confident of a good result tomorrow.

"We have pitches similar to this in Amman and we will be able to play on it. It is a good pitch," said Jordan's No 1, who played in the last two meetings between the teams.

"I'm confident that we can get a good result against Singapore."

Singapore beat Jordan 1-0 at the former National Stadium in 2009 but fell 2-1 in Amman in January last year, a result that saw the Middle Eastern outfit pip the Lions to a spot in the 2011 Asian Cup finals.

Tomorrow's match is a must-win fixture for Singapore after losing their opening two games.

Lions' coach Radojko Avramovic will serve the second of his four-match ban tomorrow, leaving assistant coach V Sundramoorthy to call the shots from the bench.

And "The Dazzler" was not convinced that the turf would be a big problem for Jordan, especially when there are artificial surfaces in Amman.

"It could be an advantage for us and if it is, we will take every advantage that we can get," he said.

Lions' defender Safuwan Baharudin was stretchered off in Friday's 2-0 friendly win over the Philippines but he appeared to get through a 90-minute training session just fine yesterday.

Said the 19-year-old: "I'm feeling okay but I'm scared to push myself. There are still two days to go and we'll see how I feel (today). "

But the hosts will have to do without the gifted Qiu Li and the Home United striker has been replaced by Courts Young Lions' Khairul Nizam.

Jordan have a full squad, and despite his complaints about the playing surface, coach Adnan said: "We are now on top of the group after two wins that have given us confidence. We hope to get a good result ... and go through (to the next round)."