Nine Lion City Sailors players will help fly the Singapore flag as the Lions play Vietnam and India in a Tri-Nation series during the upcoming FIFA international window. 

Lions’ captain Hariss Harun, along with eight others – Hassan Sunny, Amirul Adli, Adam Swandi, Hafiz Nor, M. Anumanthan, Shahdan Sulaiman, Faris Ramli and Song Ui-young – have got the nod from national team head coach Takayuki Nishigaya in what is only his second Lions selection. 

Anu has been handed his first national call-up under the 49-year-old Japanese as he returns to the Lions fold for the first time since featuring in the pandemic-delayed AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 last December. 

The 28-year-old defensive midfielder has made 20 appearances for the Sailors since signing for the club in the off-season, with one goal to his name. 

The 23-strong squad will travel to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam where they will play the 97th-ranked hosts on 21 September. The Lions will then play world no. 104 India – 55 places above them in the FIFA rankings – three days later. 

The two matches serve as preparations for the year-end ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022, in which Singapore will line up in Group B against Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Laos.

The Lions leave for Ho Chi Minh City on Monday (19 September). 

Sailors’ Lions representatives for September’s Tri-Nation series against Vietnam and India: 

Hassan Sunny, Amirul Adli, Adam Swandi, Hafiz Nor, Hariss Harun, M. Anumanthan, Shahdan Sulaiman, Faris Ramli, Song Ui-young