Lions coach Gavin Lee unveils 24-man squad for Brazil, Paraguay friendlies

SINGAPORE – As the Lions gear up for tough fixtures against five-time world champions Brazil and Paraguay at the National Stadium in November, coach Gavin Lee is also using this opportunity to test out several players.

In his 24-man squad announced on Nov 4, there were four changes to his previous squad for the FIFA ASEAN Cup – Balestier Khalsa’s 21-year-old midfielder Woo Chun Wei earns a maiden call-up, with Hougang United’s Saifullah Akbar and Geylang International duo Darren Teh and Joshua Pereira handed recalls.

Woo made his Singapore Premier League debut only in April, but has “shown maturity and consistency”, particularly for a player of his age, said Lee.

“He has adapted well to the demands of the league and shown that he can compete at this level,” added the Lions tactician.

“This will be an opportunity for him to experience the demands of international football, and we hope it will inspire him to keep learning, improving and building on the progress he has made.”

World No. 149 Singapore will take on 33rd-ranked Paraguay in the first fixture of the Mizuho Blue Challenge – The Kallang Football Series Singapore on Nov 13, before Japan and Brazil face off in a rematch of their World Cup last-32 clash the next day.

The quadrangular tournament concludes on Nov 17, with Singapore playing world No. 6 Brazil and 17th-ranked Japan taking on Paraguay.

Among the notable absentees in the Lions squad are Thespa Gunma forward Ikhsan Fandi, who is unavailable due to injury, and Cardiff City defender Perry Ng, who is expecting the birth of his first child with his partner.

Liverpool-born Ng was granted Singapore citizenship in September and is believed to be the first foreign-born athlete with third-generation heritage to become a Singaporean.

Japan and Singapore were initially planning to use the November international window to play tune-up matches ahead of the 2027 Asian Cup. But the continental showpiece has since been postponed by 11 months from its original Jan 7-Feb 5 dates due to security concerns in Saudi Arabia.

It will instead take place from Dec 23, 2027, to Jan 21, 2028, the Asian Football Confederation announced on Nov 3.

While Lee acknowledged the need to reschedule the tournament, he stressed that their approach for the matches against Brazil and Paraguay remains unchanged.

He said: “These are exactly the kind of tests we need as we continue to push ourselves, embrace the discomfort and work towards arriving at the Asian Cup as the best possible version of ourselves.”

Japan will travel to Singapore with their star players, including Monaco attacker Takumi Minamino who is set to make his return after a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament kept the 31-year-old playmaker out of the 2026 World Cup.

Lille striker Ayase Ueda has been omitted from the Samurai Blue’s 28-man squad as he deals with a foot injury, while Coventry City’s Tatsuhiro Sakamoto has been named along with Southampton’s Kuryu Matsuki, who scored on his international debut in a 3-1 win over Uruguay on Sept 24.

Key players such as Aston Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, Real Sociedad playmaker Takefusa Kubo and Mainz midfielder Kaishu Sano, who scored in their 2-1 World Cup defeat by Brazil in June, have also been selected.

Brazil will also arrive with a star-studded squad that includes Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, Arsenal duo Gabriel Magalhaes and Bruno Guimaraes, and Barcelona forward Raphinha, as well as young talent as Selecao coach Carlo Ancelotti looks to blood the next generation of players.

His 26-man squad, unveiled on Oct 29, also features 15 players under the age of 23 such as Chelsea’s 19-year-old rising star Estevao and Vinicius’ clubmate Endrick, 20.

Ahead of Singapore’s games, Lee called on fans to support the team.

The 36-year-old said: “These matches will test us, but what matters is how we respond as a group, learn from the experience, and keep working to improve.

“We never take the support of our fans for granted, and we know that their trust is something we have to keep earning.

“We are committed to giving our best every time we step onto the pitch and showing through our performances what it means to represent Singapore.”

Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing.