Weiss confident but keeps an eye on Lions' star striker

MANILA, Philippines – Azkals coach Michael Weiss remained cautious despite expressing confidence that with a soldout crowd in Cebu, they can repeat over the Singapore Lions tonight.

The Azkals have beaten the Lions, 2-0, in Singapore last September for the first time in the last 15 meetings between the two Southeast Asian teams. Though the odds are now in favor of the Azkals especially with a reported soldout crowd expected to back them up in the Queen City of the South, Weiss warned the Azkals not to take the visitors lightly.

“I think with the crowd behind us, we should be able to beat them at home. But I think now they are complete. They will come with their full roster not like the last time where some of their players were
missing especially (Aleksander) Duric,” Weiss said.

The German mentor was referring to the durable Duric, who at age 42 recently won his third S. League’s Player of the Year award after leading the Tampines Rovers to retain the title. The Bosnian-born Singapore’s naturalized striker has also scored two goals against the Azkals in the past and was also instrumental in the Tampines Rovers’ conquest of the Younghusbands-powered Loyola Meralco Sparks in the Singapore Cup semifinals.

In the semifinal leg against the Sparks, Duric displayed his incredible marksmanship despite his age as he scored the first goal in the opening match then completed a brace in the second one to power the S.League champs to the finals of the Singapore Cup where they eventually lost to the Singapore Armed Forces.

But despite Duric’s presence this time, Weiss thinks the Azkals have an equal chance to take this one as big confidence booster heading to the AFF Suzuki Cup which starts next week.

“We’re in a position now where we are strong enough not to look at the star players,” Weiss added. "I must say PFF and (team manager) Dan Palami have done a fantastic job. We have a very good preparation for the Suzuki Cup.

Weiss have recalled Marvin and Marwin Angeles, Ian Araneta, Emelio “Chieffy” Caligdong, Joshua Beloya, Jason Abbott Sabio, Jeffrey Christiaens, Jason de Jong, Crisanto Gonzales, Christopher Robert Greatwich, Roel Gener, Nestorio Margarse Jr., Misagh Bahadoran, Carlos de Murga, Eduard Sacapano, Paolo Pascual, Denis Wolf, Patrick Reichelt, Matthew Christop-her Uy, Demitrius Irving Omphroy, James and Phil Younghusband, Juan Luis Guirado, Rob Gier and Ray Anthony Jonsson for this friendly that will likely determine who will be in his final 22 for the Suzuki Cup.

The Lions, who are coming off a 0-2 loss to Japan’s J-League club Shimizu S-Pulse over the weekend before flying to Cebu, will parade Duric, Mustafic Fahrudin, Bennet Daniel Mark, Mohammad Isa Bin Abdul Halim, Mohammad Shahril Bin Ishak, Juma’at Bin Jantan, Baihakki Bin Khaizan, Mohammad Khairul Amri Bin Mohammad Kamal, Qiu Li, Shi Jiayi, Mohamad Izwan Bin Mahbud. Mohamed Hyrulnizam Bin Juma’at, Hariss S/O Harun, Muhammad Safuwan Bin Baharudin, Mohamed Hafiz Bin Rahim, Muhammad Fazli Bin Ayob, Shahdan Bin Sulaiman, Muhammad Yasir Bin Hanapi, Mohamad Shaiful Bin Esah Nain, Muhammad Raihan Bin Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Firdaus Bin Kasman and Sim Wei Zhi Joey.