the Suzuki Cup amid reports of ill-discipline in the players, the FAS decided to disband and revamp the national team, with FAS president Zainudin Nordin declaring that only four or five players would be retained in the new-look squad. Avramović, however, preached caution in the selection of players for the national team. In the 33-man provisional squad announced for the friendlies and the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, thirteen players received their first call-ups while eight players from the 2010 Suzuki Cup squad were dropped. The FAS specified their targets of reaching the third round of the World Cup qualifiers and a spot in the 2012 Suzuki Cup final. Singapore were drawn against traditional rivals Malaysia in the second round of the 2014 World Cup qualification. On 23 July 2011, Singapore defeated Malaysia 5–3 at the Jalan Besar Stadium. The Lions held Malaysia to a 1–1 draw in Kuala Lumpur five days later to progress 6–4 on aggregate to the next round. The third round draw assigned Singapore to the same group as Iraq, Jordan and China. Singapore lost all their matches and ended bottom of the group, scoring two goals and conceding twenty. The 7–1 defeat to Iraq in February 2012 led to calls for Avramović to step down and had him consider rejecting a contract renewal. Despite receiving two coaching offers, Avramović decided to stay on as national coach. On 11 April 2012, Singapore dropped to their lowest ever FIFA ranking of 158. The poor run continued with friendly match defeats to Malaysia and the Philippines, a first in 40 years. In October 2012, it was reported that Avramović and the FAS had come to a mutual agreement that his contract would not be extended, regardless of the team's performance at the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup. Singapore were drawn with co-hosts Malaysia, Indonesia and Laos in Group B. On 21 November, the FAS announced the 22-man final squad, with Avramović selecting only five defenders for the tournament. Singapore opened their campaign with a 3–0 win over defending champions Malaysia. Despite a 1–0 loss to Indonesia in the next match, Singapore managed to top the group with a narrow 4–3 win over Laos. The semi-finals showdown pitted Singapore against the Philippines. The first leg in Manila ended in a stalemate. In the return leg, Khairul Amri scored the only goal of the game to send Singapore through to the finals.