Levi Farris in action against Jordan on 13 February.
The Singapore Men’s Under-19 National Team continue their preparations for a demanding year of regional and continental competition with a centralised training camp beginning on 28 February, culminating in two international friendlies against the Maldives U20 National Team on 8 March at Choa Chu Kang Stadium and 11 March at Bishan Stadium.
Both matches kick off at 8.30pm and will be open to the public and non-ticketed. Supporters are encouraged to come down and back the team as they take another important step in their preparation for upcoming tournaments.
The fixtures form part of the team’s build-up to two key tournaments this year. The first is the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U19 Championship, set to take place in Indonesia from 1 to 14 June.
Later in the year, the focus will shift to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers between 29 September and 6 October.
Earlier this month, the U19s competed in two intense friendlies against the Jordan U19 National Team, narrowly falling 2-0 and 2-1. Despite the defeats, the matches offered valuable lessons in game management, physicality and defensive organisation against technically and tactically disciplined opponents.
Rae Peh in action against Jordan on 13 February.
Midfielder Rae Peh, who captained the side in one of the two fixtures, believes those experiences have strengthened the group’s mindset heading into the upcoming friendlies.
“Jordan showed us how small details can change a game at this level,” said Peh.
“We had good spells, but we also learnt that concentration and decision-making have to be there for the full 90 minutes.
“The Maldives matches are a chance for us to show growth. We want to control games better, be sharper in transitions, and play with more confidence as a unit.”
Zeeshan Dzulkarnain in action against Jordan on 13 February.
Defender Zeeshan Dzulkarnain, who featured prominently across both Jordan encounters, emphasised the importance of defensive discipline and collective accountability moving forward.
“Those matches tested our backline in different ways – especially in dealing with quick transitions and physical forwards,” said Zeeshan.
“Going into the Maldives games, we’re focused on being more compact and consistent. These are the kinds of matches that help us build understanding with each other and raise our standards before the AFF and AFC tournaments.”
