Avramovic down with fever

Source

SINGAPORE - Ahead of their opening Group A encounter against China in the Asian World Cup qualifiers on Friday, the Lions have come to terms with the high altitude of Kunming, the Chinese city that sits 1,900m above sea level.

But there was nothing in their arsenal to stop the flu bug as it attacked coach Radojko Avramovic.

The 61-year-old Serb came down with fever yesterday and was in bed most of the time while the 22-man Singapore squad had the day off for Hari Raya Puasa.

Speaking to Today over the phone from Kunming yesterday, Singapore team manager Eugene Loo said Avramovic would be ready for the team's training session today.

"It is nothing serious and he should be okay," said Loo. "Fortunately, it was a day off for us and he was able to rest in his room."

The Lions landed in Kunming last Friday. They went through intensive training sessions twice daily until Monday, when it was reduced to a two-hour session in the evenings.

Their last training stint will be at the 40,000-capacity Kunming Tuodong Stadium match venue tomorrow.

Preparations have been smooth. While the Chinese press have been tracking the team, they have been respectful, staying away during closed-door training sessions and adhering to instructions not to interview the players during rest breaks .

"The Chinese Football Association have been very helpful and it has helped us focus on the match," said Loo.

It will be a rush for the team after the tie. They will fly home on Saturday for their next match with Iraq at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday.

"There is hardly time for rest as we are supposed to check into the Amara Hotel on Sunday. The good thing is we will be in better physical condition playing at low level after Kunming," said Loo.