In Part 1, we looked at the defense, and collectively, they had a total of 13 caps, which leaves me with 37 caps to play with for my midfield and attack.

I know it’s been a few days since the previous part, so if you’re wondering why I’m doing this – here’s a short recap:

Often Singaporeans tend to only remember players that regularly feature in the national team, but we need to change this. Attention needs to be given to players who play weekly for their local teams and those that make meaningful contributions when fielded.

And so the question beckons – who makes the team?

Players Spotlight

Who makes the defense?

Chris Van Huizen is known for making important assists and is truly the Eagles’ assist king. During the 2019 season, he registered an impressive 10 assists, and he is always a threat down the left wing. His wicked crosses from the wings are always a nuisance for defences because, more often than not, they find their target. The Assist King may not be racking up the numbers just yet, but if Geylang gets their formula right in the second half of the season, he will be an immense threat.

Raihan Rahman is your typical no-nonsense hardman. As a central defensive midfielder, he sweeps up loose balls but more importantly, bullies opposition attackers in the middle of the park. Limited to 3 first-team appearances this season, Tanjong Pagar could benefit from his sheer physicality in the center of the park. He simply needs to be fielded more and, quite honestly, I can thinking nothing better than a Raihan Rahman – Blake Ricciuto pairing in the middle of the park.

Fridaus Kasman is a constant presence in the middle of the park and one of the few seasoned veterans that remain in the league. At 33 years old, he still plays regularly for Geylang International and is an influential member of the Eagles. He has only appeared 8 times for the national team thus far but should have got a few more caps under his belt.

Ho Wai Loon may have just returned from a lengthy injury, but he is already looking sharp. The left-back can easily play as a left-winger and has an incredible work ethic. His pace and ability to pounce on the opposition down the flank is a true asset for Balestier, who have done well in recruiting him. It would be interesting to see how he does at Balestier, given that he is on a loan move from Sailors. A string of good performances would definitely entice Kim Do Hoon, and he might feature next season.

Iqbal Hussain has a ton of flair and, under the right coach, is a lethal forward. While he shows his dance moves off the pitch and on the pitch when celebrating, it’s his entertaining play style that Returning to Singapore with Balestier Khalsa after a decent spell with I-League side Chennai City, Iqbal has the right technical, physical and mental attributes to bring any team to the next level.

If given the minutes, Fareez Farhan can certainly make an impact on the game. During the 2019 season, the forward scored an impressive 9 goals and made 4 assists in 23 league games. That season, he featured in a total of 1, 394 minutes. However, while he made 10 appearances last season, he only registered 410 minutes in the league, where he only scored once and made 2 assists. This season, he has only 395 minutes under his belt. Farhan can be the predator that Geylang needs. They just need to play him more.

And there we have it, folks! If my Maths is right, this a team with a total of 39 caps – way less than the 50 cap target I set.