Shawal's Better With Age

34-year-old forward hopes his goals can seal historic Asian Cup spot for S'pore

- Deepanraj Ganesan

Unlike many of his peers, Lions forward Shawal Anuar did not sign his first professional contract until he was 23, and the late bloomer has been playing catch-up since.

In a hurry to make the most of his time at the top, the 34-year-old has notched several career milestones in recent years.

In July 2023, he scored against Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly at the National Stadium.

The Lion City Sailors player also finished as the top local-born scorer in the 2024-25 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season, and led the club to an unprecedented run to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Two final in May with eight goals and four assists.

This is on top of the SPL and Singapore Cup titles he won with them last season.

But he has yet to win silverware with the Lions and is targeting a maiden qualification for the Asian Cup.

"It would be the most special thing in my national team career," said Shawal, who is part of the 26-man Lions squad taking on Malaysia in an international friendly at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Sept 4.

"I have over 40 caps now for Singapore and qualifying for the Asian Cup would be very special for me.

"I am honoured each time I play for my country (but) if I score and I bring the national team to the Asian Cup qualifiers, I can be proud of myself that I can contribute something for my country before I retire."