Football: 'We will beat Hong Kong'

Out-muscled and out-witted, Bernd Stange's Lions were completely out-classed in last Friday's international friendly against China, the 6-1 scoreline emphasising just how far behind Singapore are in world football.

Just four days after being torn apart in Tianjin, Singapore line up against Hong Kong, a country ranked 144th in Fifa's world rankings, 11 places above the Lions.

And Stange promises victory.

"We cannot compare ourselves with giants like China, Japan and South Korea, but we will beat Hong Kong," Stange told The New Paper in a phone interview from Hong Kong.

"Even though we don't have much info on Hong Kong except that they have a few players coming in from China, we are going to win... We can expect more power and punch from the players than we saw against China."

Admitting that his charges were slower in both mind and flesh than their Chinese counterparts, Stange called for patience, asserting that his long-term target of climbing up the rankings takes more work.

"Fans want results, and I do feel the pressure, because I don't want to break my promise," said the German, who is adamant on a quick-passing and possession-based style.

"We still lack quality (in the team), and that's why I keep singing the same song - that we need time."

A win over Hong Kong could go some way in aiding a climb up the rankings, but Stange is going into Tuesday night's fixture with a selection headache.

Goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud has been ruled out with a groin strain, a similar injury faced by midfielder Hariss Harun, who will take a late fitness test before the game.

Singapore are already without the injured trio of Shahril Ishak, Shaiful Esah and Ismail Yunos, while Shakir Hamzah has left the squad to join up with the national under-23s at the Merdeka Tournament in Kuantan.

With one eye firmly on the revolution he wants to effect, Stange plans to continue to keep faith in youth.

"We are already looking to the future, and our next step is adding more young players to the team. I haven't decided on the line-up yet, but there may only be one player over the age of 30 who will start," said the 65-year-old.

Only 17 fit players remain in Stange's squad in Hong Kong, and of those four - goalkeeper Fadhil Salim, defender Noh Rahman, and forwards Indra Sahdan and Qiu Li - are aged 30 and above.

And the focus for the 11 who step out onto the pitch tonight is to stay true to the style of football that Stange demands.

Stange style

"I have read that people are calling this way of football, the Stange style, but these aren't my tactics, it is what teams around the world are doing," he said.

"The players have seen how China treated us with such football - and while we don't have a team of similar quality, I want the players to continue to follow in this philosophy."

The China mauling was Stange's second straight defeat as Lions' boss - after a 2-0 surrender to Oman in an Asian Cup qualifier last month - and some fans are already starting to get impatient.

It is a fact not lost on the former Iraq and Belarus coach.

"I can only promise the fans that we are doing everything we can to get better results, but they cannot forget where we are in the world rankings," Stange said.

"We need time."

shamiro@sph.com.sg

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