December 27, 2004

A suspension to key forward Indra Sahdan has paved the way for Tampines Rovers star Noh Alam Shah to start his first game of this tournament & it is an opportunity that he is determined to grab with both hands as he declared himself fit

The 24-year-old said it is his chance to show what he can do & more importantly, it is an opportunity to help the nation take a step closer to the Tiger Cup.

Typical words indeed from a player known for his never-say-die attitude & robust style.

Also he added he hope also to keep up an unique personal record as since breaking into the Singapore National Team in 2000 as a fresh-faced 20-year-old, he has scored in every major international tournament that he has played in since then.

He has found the net in the 2001 SEA Games, 2002 World Cup Qualifiers, 2002 Tiger Cup, 2003 Asian Cup Qualifiers & the 2003 SEA Games. Only this Tiger Cup remains for him to keep up this amazing sequence.

The revenge is also uppermost in his mind in the double-bill against Myanmar after being in both the 2001 & 2003 SEA Games squads that went out early after defeats to Myanmar.

He said Myanmar is a hard side & it was an even game when we played them in Singapore last month. Teamwork will make the difference for us & he hope it will be now our turn to knock them out of a tournament.

Backing up Noh Alam Shah to do the job is Indra, who is the Lions’ current top scorer so far in this tournament with 3 goals, as he feels that Noh Alam Shah is the perfect replacement for him.

The Home United forward said Alam Shah an aggressive player & he gives us an extra aerial advantage. His hard-running style and willingness to work his socks off will stand us in good stead for the game against Myanmar