Fear no one, captain Amri tells Young Lions

Captain Amri wants Young Lions to show fearless mentality

Feb 12, 2016 06:00 am

They recently penned a record-setting sponsorship deal worth up to a staggering $4 million over two years, but things still look bleak for the Garena Young Lions this season.

While the clubs around them have strengthened considerably, the developmental side have opted to feature an all-local squad comprising mostly Under-21 players this term.

Two senior players - midfielder Firdaus Kasman and striking ace Khairul Amri - have been drafted in to help the youngsters, and the latter has challenged his younger teammates to show a fearless mentality and prove doubters wrong.

"It's totally up to them to prove their worth," Young Lions captain Amri told The New Paper yesterday.

"I like the fact that we got nothing to lose."

Although the 30-year-old is currently sidelined with a calf injury, he is targeting to return for the home game against Geylang International on Feb 25.

This is the first time the defending champions had lost to the Tigers since their 2020 debut.

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"The team need to be really positive, and learn to respect themselves and the opponents," he added. "We'll try to carve out a result in every game and upset the odds."

GARENA YOUNG LIONS

Last season's finish: 9th out of 10 teams
TNP's prediction: Last out of nine teams
Key players in: Khairul Amri, Firdaus Kasman (both LionsXII), Fareez Farhan (Hougang)
Key players out: M Anumanthan, Iqbal Hussain (both Hougang), Irfan Fandi (Home), Jordan Webb (Tampines)
Man to watch: Khairul Amri The 30-year-old's wealth of experience on both the local and international stage will prove invaluable in a side tipped to field mostly Under-21 players.
The coach: Patrick Hesse The 58-year-old Frenchman, who most recently has held assistant coaching positions with the Mali and Tunisia national sides, is still waiting for his work pass to be approved and has been forced to watch training sessions and matches from the stands. National youth teams head coach Richard Tardy has been taking the team's training sessions in the meantime.