SINGAPORE (3 Dec 2008) – Singapore are hoping that in-form striker Aleksandar Duric will be their lethal weapon as they aim to win the AFF Suzuki Cup for a third straight time.

The 38-year-old Duric was top scorer in the recently completed S.League with 28 goals for champions Singapore Armed Forces FC - a feat that won him the Player of the Year award for a second successive time.

Duric also showed his scoring form for the national team with both goals in the 2-2 draw with Malaysia in an AFF Suzuki Cup warm-up match in Petaling Jaya last Saturday.

The Serb stands six foot three and a half inches tall and will likely be a handful for defences in the AFF Suzuki Cup with his bustling style, good close control and proven finishing ability.

He made a dream debut for Singapore in a World Cup qualifer last November with two first half goals to hand the Lions a 2-0 victory over Tajikistan.

"He showed us his quality, some great passing and good positioning and did very well with both goals," Singapore coach Radojko Avramovic said at the time.

Avramovic, who led Singapore to victory at the last two tournaments, is pinning his hopes on Duric combining well up front with Agu Casmir, whose surging run lead to Singapore’s first goal against Malaysia.

Singapore open their campaign against Cambodia on December 5 in what looks on paper like the easiest of their three group matches.

Co-hosts Indonesia and Myanmar, the other two teams in Group A, meet in the AFF Suzuki Cup opener earlier on Friday in Jakarta.