SINGAPORE (Jan 30, 2007) – Football fever has hit Singapore and a ticket to the first leg Asean Football Championship final at the National Stadium is a rare commodity as the Republic takes aim at a hattrick of wins.

Already they have won it twice, in 1998 and the previous championship two
years ago, and the possibility of a third one over the next four days, beckons.

Third time lucky?

"We are ready for the final and there is no looking back now. It will be a final over two matches and that means playing home or away first doesn't make much difference. In any case I don't think the title will be decided over the first 90 minutes of football," said Singapore's coach Radjoko Avramovic.

So the Serbian coach who has done his share of work in the Middle East, is
prepared for a long journey with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Singapore, he reminded the Thais, are still the tournament’s defending
champion and in his own words, they have to beat us to take the title away.

But he is also an admirer of the Thai team.

A very professional side and disciplined in what they do on the pitch, he added.

Yet he has found renewed confidence in his men in a tournament which has
seen the highs and lows of a Singapore side which topped their group and then went to squeeze out traditional rivals Malaysia in the semi-finals via the
penalty shoot-out.

"We have shown the character to take us to where we are now and that's the
clearest indication that my players are committed and have a positive attitude," said Avramovic who also plotted Indonesia's downfall in the previous final.

Skipper Aide Iskandar Sahak is back after serving his one match suspension and is expected to keep his place in the heart of the Singapore defence where his experiece will come in very useful.

A. Subramani has been declared fit after almost a week of treatment for a
hamstring injury and the fullback who played a key role in Singapore's triumph two years ago, is expected to be named in the starting line-up.

But it's in the midfield where the battle will be fought and Singapore with
Mustafic Fahruddin and Shi Jia Yi, the two imports from Serbia and China respectively, are the key personnel in Avramovic's battle plan to keep the Thais in check.
"It will make no difference to the Thais, even if their skipper and striker Kiatisuk is not playing. They have developed a style of play which can accommodate anybody the coach chooses to field," added Avramovic.

So all things being equal on the pitch, Avramovic and the Singapore team can
at least look to the terraces and the expected 55,000 turn-out to see them home safe and sound on Wednesday night.