Lions' stalwarts could be recalled

The last time Mustafic Fahrudin donned the national jersey, he held aloft the AFF Suzuki Cup.

On that December evening in Bangkok in 2012, Thailand beat Singapore 1-0, but Singapore won 3-2 on aggregate to clinch South-east Asian football's most prestigious prize.

Farra, as he is popularly known, may get another chance to pull on a Lions' jersey again - four years after he earned his 79th and last cap for the Republic.

He is among a number of players national coach V Sundramoorthy is considering recalling to the international set-up ahead of the Suzuki Cup in November.

Others on Sundram's shortlist include Tampines defender Jufri Taha, Warriors FC winger Ridhuan Muhammad and Hougang United attacker Iqbal Hussain.

Singapore are likely to make use of the Fifa international date coming up at the end of the month to play an overseas friendly, which The New Paper's (TNP) sources reveal is likely to be Bahrain.

Asked if there could be "new faces" for the upcoming game, Sundram told TNP: "There's a possibility.

"I'm narrowing down the list of some players who I feel can contribute. Their performances in the S. League will be crucial... I'm monitoring them."

Farra, who scored in the finals of Singapore's 2007 and 2012 Suzuki Cup triumphs, said he was overjoyed at the prospect of rejoining the national team.

Despite being a key player in the 2012 campaign, he was continually overlooked by former German coach Bernd Stange, who replaced Raddy Avramovic after that tournament.

Said Farra: "I have said many times before, I enjoy every second with the national team. The memories I have of winning the Suzuki Cup are my best in football.

"If Sundram thinks I can contribute in any way, on the field or off it, I will grab the opportunity with both hands."

As for the other players Sundram is running the rule over, no-frills defender Jufri has three international caps - all earned under Avramovic in 2012.

Iqbal, meanwhile, has been involved in weekly national team training sessions, but he was not named in the recent squad.

DEEP DESIRE

For winger Ridhuan, the wait to add to his 65 caps and three goals has been excruciating.

Breaking into the senior Lions squad in 2004, he was part of the "NFA Gang of Four", the other three players being Hassan Sunny, Baihakki Khaizan, and Shahril Ishak.

He was a regular until he was dropped in the wake of Singapore's Suzuki Cup disaster in 2010.

Ridhuan told TNP: "Of course, I felt disappointed at being left out.

"What's more, in 2012 I was part of the group of Singaporeans playing overseas (in Indonesia) and I felt there was less of a chance to prove we deserved to be in the team because our performances were not always noticed.

"But since I came back to the S.League (in 2014), one of my biggest motivations was to try and get back to the national team.

"I haven't said it publicly or even talked to my friends about it, but deep down inside, that's what I keep pushing myself for."