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Izwan’s ready for the big leagues

SINGAPORE — The Lions may have been outplayed 3-0 by Japan in their FIFA World Cup qualifying match last Thursday, but there was one bright spark who shone on the National Stadium pitch — goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud.

Izwan Mahbud of Singapore. Photo: Getty Images

Izwan Mahbud of Singapore. Photo: Getty Images

SINGAPORE — The Lions may have been outplayed 3-0 by Japan in their FIFA World Cup qualifying match last Thursday, but there was one bright spark who shone on the National Stadium pitch — goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud.

The Singapore custodian pulled off a total of 19 saves against the Samurai Blue — one more than the 18 made in Saitama in June which saw Singapore holding the world No 50 Japanese to a goalless draw.

Izwan’s heroic displays have drawn praise from fans and club coaches, with J-League side Matsumoto Yamaga even extending an invitation to the LionsXII goalkeeper for a trial with the club after his performance at the Saitama Stadium.

And Singapore goalkeeping coach John Burridge believes Izwan is ready to feature on a bigger international stage. “I am working on trying to get him into Europe, because that’s what I came to Singapore for. I did the same for Al Habsi (bringing him from Oman to Wigan in the Premier League) and I will do the same for him too,” said the Englishman after the team’s training session at Geylang Field yesterday.

Burridge told TODAY he had been in talks with ex-Real Sociedad manager David Moyes regarding Izwan before Moyes was sacked last week.

“For me, Izwan is top draw and perfect for the Spanish league,” he added. “I was very much in touch with David Moyes during his time at Sociedad but he got the sack unfortunately. However, I will try to find a way to get him and Hassan (Sunny) into Europe.”

Burridge was also key in engineering Hassan’s move to Thai Premier League team Army United in January, and he is determined to give Izwan a shot at the big leagues.

The 63-year-old said: “The only thing he’s got to do is play at a bigger league and at a better standard of football. When you put them in a bigger league, it’s the league that teaches them.”

Izwan will get another chance to prove his worth as the Lions take on Syria in their World Cup qualifying Group E match tomorrow at the National Stadium. Victory against Syria will see them leapfrog the world No 132 side to second in the group. Only the top teams from each of the eight groups, and the four best second-placed teams, will advance to the next stage of World Cup qualifying and earn a spot at the 2019 Asian Cup.

National head coach Bernd Stange knows possession will be key to victory tomorrow, with the German putting players through fast-paced pass-and-move drills in the 90-minute training session. “I want to bring this team to a top level and to do that, we need to focus on more possession and to go into our attacks with more confidence. We are prepared and we know their strengths, but we must be realistic,” said Stange.

The German also vented his frustrations at the media’s portrayal of the match as a do-or-die clash, stressing that his team’s target had always been to finish third in the group, as he added: “Look, we have done fantastically well so far and I don’t like all this negativity amongst the media and needless pressure on my players. Qualifying for the Asian Cup is our goal and it will remain that way.”

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