Tsutomu Ogura throws down the gauntlet to young players as he plots the way forward for Lions

SINGAPORE – As Tsutomu Ogura reflects on a creditable Asean Championship campaign, the national coach has issued a rallying cry to Singapore’s young players: Ditch the niceties and fight for your place.

Moving forward, the Japanese tactician is hoping to see a more competitive atmosphere within the Lions camp, after the

3-1 second-leg loss to Vietnam in Viet Tri on Dec 29

sealed a 5-1 aggregate semi-final exit.

The Lions can take heart from the displays by the veterans such as Safuwan Baharudin and Shawal Anuar, both 33, and Shahdan Sulaiman, 36, during the tournament. It was just the second time that the Lions had reached the semi-finals since they won their fourth title in 2012.

In contrast, most of the younger players in the 26-man squad saw little or no game time. Of those aged 23 or younger, only Lion City Sailors forward Abdul Rasaq Akeem, 23, managed to earn a start.

Young Lions duo Raoul Suhaimi, 19, and Ryaan Sanizal, 22, did not see any action while Jordan Emaviwe, 23, despite impressing in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) with Balestier Khalsa, was fielded for just eight minutes. Hougang United winger Farhan Zulkifli, 22, managed only two substitute appearances.

While Ogura felt that the inclusion of these younger players will put them in good stead for future competitions, the 58-year-old told The Straits Times: “In this competition, our experienced players have been very competitive. Our young players need to have a breakthrough, mentally and on the pitch.

“Sometimes, they have too much respect for the older players or the opponents. We don’t need to respect too much on the pitch, they must go in harder.

“We must have a more competitive situation, but the younger players (are) too nice, sometimes too kind. I want a situation where they are fighting more and being more competitive like our experienced players.”

Next up for the Lions is the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers, where they have been placed in Group C alongside India, Hong Kong and Bangladesh.

Only the group winners qualify for the continental showpiece in Saudi Arabia in 2027 and Singapore will kick off their campaign with a home match against Hong Kong on March 25.

“This campaign is over, now we look ahead,” said Ogura. “I told the players today that the door is now open, you may go or someone new may come. This is the competitive environment I want.”

The third consecutive Japanese coach for the Lions, Ogura was appointed in February and has overseen 12 matches, winning three and drawing two. He noted that his players have made progress since his first match in charge in March, when the Lions came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with China in a World Cup qualifier.

In the nine months since, he observed that his team have become more confident on the ball, improved their build-up play and are now less fearful of making mistakes.

The Lions also showed steady improvement during the Asean Championship. They started with victories against Cambodia (2-1) and Timor-Leste (3-0) which masked lacklustre displays, but they put up a strong first-half show against Thailand, leading 2-0 before a late collapse saw them lose 4-2. This was followed by a gritty away draw against Malaysia, which secured their semi-final berth. In the two legs against Vietnam, Ogura’s men proved they could compete with the region’s best.

Ogura said: “I cannot say I am satisfied unless we had won the title. But... we have improved. Of course, we must improve more and my coaching and medical staff deserve a lot of credit for the professional environment that they have created in the national team.”

On questions that the players lacked focus and fitness – in six matches over 19 days, the Lions scored eight goals but conceded 10, half of which came during stoppage time – the coach insisted the players are fit enough.

He noted how the team produced late scoring chances in the 0-0 draw in Malaysia which sealed a semi-final berth, and that if fitness was the issue, his team would be conceding goals after the hour mark, not at the end of the matches.

Ogura said: “I have told the players that focusing for 90 minutes is not enough.

“Playing to our philosophy alone is not enough and if they want to win something, they must fight to the end, learn from this experience.”

Among the aspects that have changed in the Ogura era is the importance he places on post-game recovery and conditioning through the use of ice baths and cryotherapy chambers.

He also takes a hands-on approach to managing the players’ mental state before and after matches, with sources telling ST that he personally selects the players to speak to the media.

He even pulled his players out of mixed-zone interviews following the loss to Thailand in the group stage, as he prioritised their recovery efforts for the crucial match against Malaysia just three days later.

Now that the gruelling competition is over and the players return to their clubs, Ogura will head to Japan to spend time with his family. But the Lions will not be far from his thoughts.

Ogura, who rattled off the dates of when the Asean Club Championship (Shopee Cup) and SPL will resume, said: “When I see my wife and children, I will smile. But soon after that, I will think of what I can do to improve (the Lions).

“My life is about football.”

Meanwhile, defending champions Thailand advanced to the Asean Cup final against Vietnam after edging out the Philippines 4-3 on aggregate in the other semi-final on Dec 30.

The Thais had substitute Suphanat Mueanta to thank for scoring the winner in extra time of their 3-1 second-leg victory at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.

The two-legged decider, a repeat of the 2022 final, will be played in Vietnam on Jan 2 and in Thailand three days later.