{
  "id": 19635087,
  "title": "S'pore football coach Gavin Lee stresses team standards amid Irfan Fandi's omission from squad",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/spore-football-coach-gavin-lee-stresses-team-standards-amid-irfan",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-12T10:22:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mothership",
    "slug": "mothership",
    "url": "https://mothership.sg/2026/11/gavin-lee-irfan-fandi-lions/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Singapore's national football coach, Gavin Lee, has highlighted the significance of team standards when asked about defender Irfan Fandi's continued absence from the Lions squad. Irfan, 29, was previously not included in Singapore's team for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 and later omitted from the 24-man squad for Singapore's November friendlies announced on November 4. Lee did not disclose the reason behind Irfan's exclusion, but emphasized that his focus was on selecting the best possible squad for each international window. He assured that players, including Irfan, who were not selected could still be called up in the future. Lee reiterated that team standards are paramount, stating that players must prioritize the team's interests over their own when representing Singapore. Both the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and Irfan Fandi declined to comment on the curfew allegation, adhering to their respective policies of not commenting on unverified claims and speculation.",
  "summary": "Lee said the door remains open for a future return.",
  "key_points": [
    "Singapore football coach Gavin Lee emphasizes team standards.",
    "Irfan Fandi, 29, omitted from Lions squad for FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.",
    "Lee assures players can be called up in future despite exclusion."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Prioritizing collective standards over individual status signals a shift toward a meritocratic selection process where even established stars must meet specific expectations to represent the national team.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}