SINGAPORE – He has experienced the high of winning the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship in 2012, and represented Singapore in five more editions.

However, Hougang United midfielder Shahdan Sulaiman still feels excited by his inclusion in the provisional 30-man squad for the upcoming tournament.

The 36-year-old moved one step closer to being called up for his seventh Asean Championship – also known as the Asean Mitsubishi Electric (ME) Cup – after Lions coach Tsutomu Ogura announced a squad comprising entirely of players from the Singapore Premier League (SPL) on Nov 30.

The final 26-man list will be released on Dec 6.

Shahdan, whose last international appearance came in November 2023, told The Straits Times: “It’s always an honour to be called up, don the national jersey and play for the country. But it’s a bit of a surprise because I was not in coach Ogura’s last few squads.

“I’m in good condition and I’m looking forward to contributing my 100 per cent. My perspective in football hasn’t changed – it’s always been to win. But now that I’m nearing the end of my playing career, I have learnt to embrace and enjoy the moment more.”

He is among five players recalled to the Lions squad, with the others being defenders Raoul Suhaimi (19 years old) and Ryaan Sanizal (22), midfielder Syed Firdaus (26) and forward Iqbal Hussain (31).

Shahdan has had to battle fractures in both legs in his career, but has bounced back each time. After missing the bulk of ...