In an unprecedented move, Singapore under-23 head coach Slobodan Pavkovic faced his team on Wednesday and apologised for hurting some players with his remarks.
“I was honest with them and if I make mistakes, I will always say I make mistakes. That’s what I said, you know, if I hurt anyone, I apologise and I’m sorry,” said the coach, who had earlier singled out players for contributing to Singapore’s losses.
Pavkovic’s apology comes a day ahead of Thursday’s SEA Games qualifying match against Thailand.
He explained that he wanted to preserve a positive atmosphere of understanding between him and the Young Lions.
“I don’t want to blame players,” he told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. “I always say that the responsibility lies on us, and part of that responsibility I take.”
Forward Neil Vanu, who was singled out for impacting the outcome of Singapore’s match against Indonesia on Friday because of his red card, said the apology lifted a load off his chest.
“I didn’t think he needed to give us an apology because he’s the coach,” said Vanu. “But when he did, I felt like it is a team effort, it’s all of us. I definitely felt better; it was a load off my chest.”
Central defender Safuwan Baharudin, who was also targeted for his failure to prevent a goal scored at the 45th second of Friday’s match, welcomed the apology as well.
“I think Neil was pretty down after the game, because he thought he was being punished individually,” he said. “I think he (Vanu) now has a clearer view on how it works, whether he was being blamed alone or as a team.”
Asked about the pressure they faced for Thursday’s do-or-die match, Pavkovic said their strategy is set, and the pre-game analysis is complete.
“We know what we want, and we have our strategy for this game,” he said. “We must try to win, nothing more than this… no one needs to explain, and I believe they will do their best. They are very motivated for tomorrow; I know they want to do this.”
Vanu will be sitting out Thursday’s game while 20-year-old Safuwan, who is still injured from Friday’s match, is unlikely to be fielded in the starting 11.
“I badly want to play, but it’s not fair because (Pavkovic) has been preparing the team for three to four days now,” said Safuwan. “If he were to put me in even if I were 100 per cent fit, it’s not fair, so I’ll just leave it up to him, but I did tell him I’m not sure I’ll be 100 per cent fit for tomorrow’s game.”
The team now has a hefty five-goal margin to overcome against Malaysia, which recently triumphed 4-1 over Cambodia on Sunday, and more than ever, if Singapore hopes to stand a chance to move up to the semifinals, the team needs a strong victory.
