Tsutomu Ogura’s Lions set lofty target of maiden Asian Cup qualification

SINGAPORE – The Singapore national football team have never qualified for the Asian Cup on merit, and that is the target that Football Association of Singapore (FAS) general secretary Chew Chun-Liang has set as he eyes a spot at the 2027 edition in Saudi Arabia.

The Lions, whose sole appearance came as hosts in 1984, are in Group C alongside India, Hong Kong and Bangladesh for the third round of qualifiers, with only the group winners booking a ticket to the continental showpiece.

World No. 160 Singapore will kick off their campaign with a home match against 155th-ranked Hong Kong on March 25, with the qualifiers set to run for a year. India (126th) are the top-ranked team, while Bangladesh are lowest (185th).

At a media session held at Jalan Besar Stadium to share the FAS’ 2025 plans for its national teams, Chew said: “When you look at our group for the Asian Cup qualifiers...

“I believe these teams are beatable. The target we have set is to top the group and to qualify for the Asian Cup.

“And I think this is something achievable with the leadership of coach (Tsutomu) Ogura, and I think this is something that we believe we can work towards.”

Ogura, who led the Lions

to the Asean Championship semi-finals last December,

said he is ready for the difficult task.

Looking at the gathered media in the room, he asked for the number of times that the Lions had qualified for the Asian Cup.

When told that it was only once as hosts, he added: “So zero? We must recognise that as of now (we have never qualified).

“To have our first qualification, that is very, very difficult. We need to challenge ourselves. For me, what is important is the process. One thing for sure, I don’t want to change my approach from last year. But what we need is more quality.”

It is hoped that Cardiff City defender Perry Ng can provide that injection of quality after Chew revealed that the Liverpool-born player is in the process

of applying to be a Singapore citizen

under the Foreign Sports Talent (FST) scheme, with support from the FAS.

Ng, 28, is eligible to play for Singapore via the heritage route as his late paternal grandfather James was born here.

Chew said: “For anyone who wants to be a citizen, first, you must be a permanent resident. So that is already in motion... We (FAS) have also supported it, so hopefully, we can hear from the authorities (soon).”

It has been more than a decade since Chinese forward Qiu Li became the last of nine players the FAS co-opted under the scheme in 2010.

Japan-born midfielder Kyoga Nakamura

attained citizenship last October,

but it was not under the FST scheme. He had satisfied Fifa’s five-year residency rule and went through the necessary procedures to be granted citizenship.

December’s SEA Games in Thailand is also high on the FAS’ agenda for 2025, with Ogura also overseeing the national U-22 team, who will have their own coach.

Following the 2023 Cambodia Games, where the Young Lions suffered a group-stage exit for the fifth straight time, the FAS unveiled 10 recommendations to improve the team’s performance at future editions.

Chew said the FAS will make an announcement on the U-22s’ coach when it is ready.

“What we are doing now is to start looking out for players,” Chew added. “Something that we will definitely be looking at is an intense training camp. You can be rest assured 101 per cent that we will be well-prepared.”

As preparation for the Dec 9-20 SEA Games, the FAS is looking to host September’s Under-23 Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers.

The Straits Times understands that candidates to be the U-22s’ coach include Firdaus Kassim, currently in charge of the Lion City Sailors U-21s. Former Lions coach Tatsuma Yoshida was approached, but is understood to have turned down the opportunity.

When asked if Yoshida had been considered, Ogura replied: “It doesn’t matter if it is a Japanese, a foreigner, a European or a local.

“What is important is that he knows the Singapore culture and system, knows the young players and has an experience of being a professional coach.”

The SEA Games will also be one of three major competitions for the Lionesses in 2025. They will also be taking part in the Asian Cup qualifiers that are set to begin in June and the Asean Women’s Championship, which is likely to be held in October, said coach Karim Bencherifa.

Calling the SEA Games the priority, Bencherifa added: “It’s a very, very important tournament for us, and it comes at the end of the year, at a time when we have more availability (of players).

“There is definitely a target to do our best there.”