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

But 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 on Nov 30 a list comprising entirely of players from the Singapore Premier League (SPL). The final 26-man squad 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 and Ryaan Sanizal, midfielder Syed Firdaus and forward Iqbal Hussain.

Shahdan has had to battle fractures in both legs in his career, but has bounced back each time. After missing the bulk of the 2023 season, he recovered to notch two goals and six assists from 18 games for the Cheetahs in 2024.

While he is the oldest player in the side, the 89-cap midfielder’s set-piece prowess and experience will come in handy for Ogura, who will not be able to call upon foreign-based Lions such as Thailand-based Fandi brothers Irfan, Ikhsan and Ilhan and Selangor’s Safuwan Baharudin.

Injured utility player Jacob Mahler, who is also based in Thailand, misses out as well, while another notable absentee is South Korea-born midfielder Song Ui-young, who is not in the squad due to personal reasons.

While the Singapore Premier League will resume only in January, leagues in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are ongoing during the Dec 8-Jan 5 AFF Championship. These teams will also not have their full complement of players, although they have a wider pool to pi...