As Singapore coach Tsutomu Ogura announced his squad for the upcoming international window in September on Wednesday, it is still anyone's guess as to who will be first up to be given a chance to succeed the recently-retired Hassan Sunny .
Earlier this month, Hassan called time on his international career after a two-decade stint which saw him earn 115 caps.
Even at the age of 40, he was arguably still performing at the peak of his powers even at highest level that is the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup -- before abruptly retiring from Singapore duty.
While he did at times face competition for the No. 1 spot, the fact that Hassan was the undisputed first-choice custodian in recent times means his departure has left a massive void to be filled.
On Wednesday, a quartet emerged as contenders to be his successor with Izwan Mahbud , Syazwan Buhari , Hairul Syirhan and Rudy Khairullah included in Ogura's 28-man squad for next month's centralised training -- which will include behind-closed-doors matches against club teams BG Tampines Rovers and Johor Darul Ta'zim .
In a media briefing held at Jalan Besar Stadium, where the Football Association of Singapore outlined their preparation plans for the end-of-year ASEAN Championship , Ogura paid tribute to Hassan while being non-committal over who is likely to take over between the posts.
"If I say this (Hassan no longer being available) isn't a problem, that's not true," said Ogura. "Because he is a great player with long-time experience with the national team.
"On the pitch, off the pitch, his attitude is really professional. But when such players want to retire, they have earned to right to make their own decision.
"Maybe we could have tried to get him to stay till after AFF (ASEAN Championship) or next March (the start of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup third round qualifiers). I've thought about this, but the decision is his to make.
"Our job now is to replace him. Everyone (the four goalkeepers selected for September) starts at the same level."
On paper, Izwan -- the most-experienced of the quartet with 54 caps -- looms as the likeliest option.
Izwan was one of those who managed to keep Hassan out of the starting XI on occasion previously, and was the first-choice goalkeeper when the Lions last won the ASEAN Championship in 2012.
While the 34-year-old was in his prime also regarded as one of Southeast Asia's best shot stoppers, it remains to be seen if can return to that level -- especially after only recently returning to first-team football with Lion City Sailors after overcoming a serious knee injury at his age.
Tampines' Syazwan also boasts considerable experience at the age of 31, having been a regular feature in the Singapore Premier League over the past decade. He does however have only two caps to his name and his stature -- standing at just 1.73 metres -- has always been the one factor going against him especially on the international stage.
Curiously, the other two goalkeepers called up both play for the same club, with Hairul and Rudy sharing No. 1 duties for Geylang International this season.
It suggests that both have done enough to catch the eye of Ogura but neither have been spectacular enough to nail down a starting berth even at club level.
If Ogura, who has stood out with his geniality since taking over the Singapore job at the start of the year, says it will be an open and fair race for the now vacant goalkeeping spot, then that most certainly will be the case.
It will however come as no surprise, especially with the ASEAN Championship not far off, if it is Izwan who wins the battle to succeed Hassan as the Lions' new No. 1.
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