No Hariss, no worries: S'pore acclimatising well and Mustafic says partnership with Isa proving a hit

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SINGAPORE - With four days left before Singapore open their third round World Cup qualifying campaign against China in Kunming, the Singapore Football Association (FAS) are still holding out hope that midfielder Hariss Harun will be able to make the trip north.

The 20-year-old, who is doing his National Service with the Police, is into the third week of an eight-week basic training programme and the FAS are keeping their fingers crossed he will be released for the match.

But even if he does make it to Kunming, which is about 1,900m above sea level, Hariss is unlikely to be of any use to the team because he would have little time to acclimatise.

For it has taken Rodojo Avramovic's men three days since arriving in Kunming last week to get over breathing difficulties in training. And now that they are breathing normally, midfielder Mustafic Fahrudin has allayed fears that Hariss' absence will considerably weaken the Lions' engine room.

The defensive midfielder, whose partnership with Hariss proved formidable in the Lions 6-4 aggregate victory over Malaysia in the second round World Cup qualifiers last month, told Today he is getting used to playing alongside replacement Isa Halim, whom he partnered in the 0-0 Bangkok friendly against Thailand last Wednesday.

"It is not as though we are in partnership for the first time. We have played together before and Isa's play is similar to Hariss' and he can be as good," said Mustafic said from Kunming.

"So I think we are okay in midfield and there shouldn't be any worries."

The 30-year-old is also confident that after constant training over the last three days, Kunming's high altitude will not bother the Lions much on Friday.

"It was a good decision to come here early to get used to the altitude. It is beautiful here, 16 to 17°C in the night and I think we can last the match."

However, he added that he is still worried about his knee, which was injured when he turned out for Tampines Rovers in an S-League clash against Hougang United earlier this month.

"That is the only nagging problem for me. I'm receiving treatment and there is no pain or swelling. I am just careful in training," he said.

Since touching down in Kunming, Singapore's two China-born naturalised citizens, Qiu Li and Shi Jiayi, have been hounded by journalists, with most asking the same question: What will it be like to play against their former country?

"I tell them the same thing, that it felt a little awkward when I played for Singapore in a friendly match against China at the National Stadium two years ago," said Shi.

"But not anymore. In fact, my parents are coming down from Shanghai to watch the match and you know what, they will be cheering for me and Singapore!"