Lion City Sailors goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud has been named alongside three other Sailors – Hariss Harun, Hami Syahin and Shawal Anuar – in Tsutomu Ogura’s 28-strong Singapore National Team squad that will gather for local centralised training during the September FIFA international window.

The call-up is 34-year-old Izwan’s first since March 2022, when he was named in the Singapore squad for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Tri-Nations Series tourney in which they took on Malaysia and the Philippines. 

Izwan has bounced back strongly from the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear that ruled him out of the majority of 2023. He started all six matches of the Sailors’ 2023 Singapore Cup triumph and has started four Singapore Premier League (SPL) matches thus far this season – including the Sailors’ last three league outings. 

The experienced custodian made 54 appearances for Singapore between 2011 and 2021, with his last start coming in June 2021 in a 3-0 away defeat against Saudi Arabia in a FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifier.

In preparation for the year-end ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup, the Lions will play two training matches as part of the upcoming training stint – against SPL side BG Tampines Rovers on 6 September and reigning Malaysia Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim a day later.