Jordan Emaviwe gets first Lions call-up as Tsutomu Ogura announces squad for World Cup qualifiers

SINGAPORE – Standing at 1.93m, Jordan Emaviwe has been a fixture in the heart of Balestier Khalsa’s defence since joining them last season.

The 23-year-old, who can also be deployed as a central midfielder and centre forward, could now utilise his towering frame for his country’s benefit.

He received his first Lions call-up on May 23, as national football coach Tsutomu Ogura announced his latest 27-man squad for the Group C World Cup qualifiers against South Korea (at home on June 6) and Thailand (away on June 11).

Expressing excitement to be called up, Emaviwe said: “This moment is a dream come true and a testament to the hard work, dedication and support I’ve received from my family, coaches and teammates throughout my career.”

Born to a Nigerian father and a Singaporean-Chinese mother, Emaviwe, who took Chinese as his mother tongue in school, grew up wanting to emulate his idol Jon Obi Mikel as a midfielder, but started to impress with his powerful left foot in other positions.

While he was not selected by the National Football Academy when he was 13, he was picked up by FC Chiasso and featured for the Swiss second-tier side as well as regional Italian team FC Castiglione in 2017 and 2018 before joining Balestier in 2020.

He moved to the Young Lions while in national service and contributed eight goals and five assists in 30 games from 2021 to 2023. Since returning to the Tigers in June 2023, Emaviwe, who has also played for the national U-23 team, has made 21 appearances, scoring once.

Looking forward to his first senior cap, Emaviwe said: “I am ready to face the challenges ahead and make the most of this incredible opportunity. In the long run, I hope to become a consistent and reliable player for the national team and look forward to helping our team achieve great things on the international stage.”

While Emaviwe was the only one to receive his first senior call-up, eight other players – including Young Lions pair Nur Adam Abdullah and Farhan Zulkifli, Geylang International’s Joshua Pereira and Lion City Sailors’ Christopher van Huizen – found their way back into the national fold, as the likes of Zulfahmi Arifin, Hafiz Nor and Ilhan Fandi missed out.

With Singapore at the bottom of the group with just one point from four games, the Lions need to win their remaining two matches against higher-ranked opponents and hope other results go their way in order to progress to the third round of World Cup qualifiers.

Calling this “the best squad for these two matches”, Ogura said: “Players not selected for this window are still very important to the national team, as I base each squad on the challenges we face in that particular window.

“I expect to give South Korea and Thailand a tough fight, and to continue the progress we have been making since the China games.”

Ogura, who took over the reins in February, made a strong first impression by masterminding a comeback 2-2 draw against China at the National Stadium on March 21. Five days later, they were tied at 1-1 after an hour in China before losing 4-1.

The local-based Lions will start centralised training on May 27, with the overseas-based ones joining them later in the week.

On June 6, Lions captain Hariss Harun and his Lion City Sailors teammates will face a familiar face in the opposite dugout.

Former Sailors coach Kim Do-hoon has been appointed as South Korea’s caretaker boss and will lead the likes of Son Heung-min against his former players.

More than 40,000 tickets for the match have been sold, with only a limited number of tickets available on the Ticketek platform.

LIONS SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Hassan Sunny, Syazwan Buhari, Zharfan Rohaizad, Hairul Syirhan

Defenders: Amirul Adli, Jordan Emaviwe, Fairuz Fazli, Irfan Fandi, Nur Adam Abdullah, Joshua Pereira, Safuwan Baharudin, Ryhan Stewart, Lionel Tan, Christopher van Huizen

Midfielders: Hariss Harun, Farhan Zulkifli, Hami Syahin, Glenn Kweh, Jacob Mahler, Shah Shahiran, Song Ui-young, Harhys Stewart

Forwards: Faris Ramli, Daniel Goh, Ikhsan Fandi, Shawal Anuar, Taufik Suparno