By Abdul Hafiz
Senior Executive Copytaster
hafiz@sph.com.sg

 

SINGAPORE'S highest hope of glory - the Suzuki Cup, or Tiger Cup as it was once known - has, it seems, suffered a big blow.

New China import Qiu Li cannot take part. In fact he has to wait till 2010 to play for Singapore, when he will be 29. Fifa says he has to fulfill a five-year residency rule in order to play for his own country.

Somebody - either in Fifa or FAS - has just made a huge mistake - but the Foreign Talent Scheme has had its bad calls.

How do we forget the indiscipline of Itimi Dickson and Agu Casmir, or how little Mirko Grabovac (0 goals from 11 games) and Egmar Goncalves (three goals from 13 games) actually contributed to Singapore's international game before quitting the country?

But there is no point in harping on the past. There are bigger to issues to worry us.

Not so much that Qiu Li will be 29 by the time he gets to put on a Lions shirt again, but why he was made a Lions in the first place.

Is he good enough to take the national team to another level? Can he take Singapore to the Asian Cup? Is he so talented that a place in the starting XI is guaranteed?

No, no and no.

Sure he can shield a ball well, is pretty good with free kicks and can turn a game around when he hits full gear. But so can the local born Khairul Amri.

If Singapore were at full strength, there is every chance they Qiu Li will only be good enough for the bench. So with him, Singapore have a little bit more depth. But that is it.

FAS' criteria to qualify for the Foreign Talent Scheme is as listed:

 (i) He must not have represented any National Team, in any age-group;

(ii) He consistently performs in the S.League and are a notch or two better in standard than local players of his age;

(iii) He has shown that he can add value to the National Team by plugging a gap in the team;

(iv) He is of good character;

(v) He desires to take up Singapore Citizenship.

A notch or two better. That's it? Plug a gap, instead of taking the team to the next level? Here is another paragraph from the FAS website, after what happened with Mirko and Egmar:

"Today, FAS has moved on to inducting younger players like Shi Jiayi (23 years old) and Precious Emuejeraye (23 years old). These FSTs all have a longer period to contribute to the national cause."

Qiu Li was 27 when he was given citizenship this year. Sure, the guideline can be broken but for genuinely inspirational players - a player Singaporeans can really get excited about. But Qiu Li isn't that.

Do you think the FAS was right to recruit him?