Ryan Qylfie in action against Jordan on 13 February.
The Singapore Men’s Under-19 Team took on Jordan in two matches earlier this month, and while the team fell in both hard-fought clashes – losing 2-0 in the first match then 2-1 in the second, these matches provided helpful early benchmarking ahead of a busy year that will culminate in regional competitions.
The U19s will compete in the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U19 Championship from 1 to 14 June, and later embark on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers from 29 September to 6 October.
These matches against a physical and tactically disciplined Jordan side provided a clear measure of where the squad stands – and what must improve – as preparations for these tournaments intensify.
Singapore 0–2 Jordan (13 Feb)
Rae Peh in action against Jordan on 13 February.
In the first of two match-ups, Singapore – captained by 17-year-old Rae Peh – went toe to toe with their visitors in an evenly contested opening 45 minutes.
A defence marshalled by centre-backs Zeeshan Dzulkarnain and Levi Farris, with goalkeeper Jarec Ng behind them, held firm under sustained Jordanian pressure. Organised and compact, Singapore frustrated their opponents and went into the break on level terms.
Jordan found the breakthrough in the 55th minute through Abdulrahman Zghaybeh, who struck again 13 minutes later to double the advantage. Despite Singapore’s attempts to respond, the visitors saw out the contest for a 2–0 win.
“It was a big test for us physically and mentally. Jordan punished small lapses, and that’s something we have to learn from,” said Peh.
“The intensity showed us the level required, and it’s a benchmark we need to keep building towards for the competitions ahead.”
Singapore 1–2 Jordan (16 Feb)
The Singapore Men’s Under-19 Team that lined up against Jordan on 16 February.
Three days later, the return fixture took on a different complexion.
With their Singapore Premier League (SPL) commitments concluded, Young Lions quartet Andy Reefqy, Danial Herwan, Harith Danish and Luth Harith were available and slotted straight into a refreshed starting line-up.
The 17-year-old Andy has featured regularly in the SPL this season despite his youth, and captained the side in the second friendly as Singapore looked to respond.
This time, the hosts began with purpose and intensity. Their positive approach was rewarded in the 22nd minute when Helmi Shahrol opened the scoring.
Jordan, however, responded swiftly. Omar Al-Khatib levelled matters two minutes before the break, ensuring the sides went into half-time on level terms.
With the contest finely poised, Singapore continued to press in the second half but were undone in the 73rd minute by a decisive Mohammad Handomah strike, as Jordan edged the game 2–1.
Zeeshan Dzulkarnain in action against Jordan.
“These friendlies are about learning quickly. The physical battles, the speed of transition –those are things we must get used to,” said Zeeshan, who played all 180 minutes of the Jordan matches.
“Our focus now is to take these lessons back into training and raise our standards together as a team.”
Prince Rio in action against Jordan.
Prince Rio, who also featured in both encounters, highlighted the growth shown across the two matches:
“We showed a better response in the second game. There was more belief and urgency in the way we played. Facing a team like Jordan exposes areas we must improve, but it also shows what we’re capable of when we stick to our principles.”
