Watch Singapore’s new nationwide soccer head coach Tsutomu Ogura: ‘I would like followers to imagine within the nationwide workforce’ – Singapore News

SINGAPORE — The Singapore nationwide soccer workforce may have a 3rd straight Japanese head coach, after former Tokyo Verdy assistant coach Tsutomu Ogura took up the recent seat on a two-year contract on Thursday (1 February).

The 57-year-old was unveiled by the Soccer Affiliation of Singapore (FAS) because the director of nationwide groups at Jalan Besar Stadium, three days after earlier head coach Takayuki Nishigaya was sacked after producing outcomes that had been beneath FAS’ expectation. Apart from main males’s senior workforce, Ogura will even oversee the performances of the nationwide Underneath-23/22 workforce and their coach.

With Singapore languishing at No.156 within the Fifa world rankings, and having didn’t advance out of the group stage of the AFF Cup in 4 out of the previous 5 editions, Ogura faces an uphill process convincing Lions followers of his functionality, particularly coming after Nishigaya’s less-than-stellar tenure.

Nonetheless, Ogura insists he’s prepared for the problem, talking in English on the media convention of his unveiling on Thursday, “I’ve come to Singapore as a result of it’s a giant problem for me. It’s an journey for my profession.

“For me, what’s vital is the longer term. Whether or not the Singapore gamers are younger or skilled, it doesn’t matter. What’s vital is method and techniques and the preventing spirit. You have to be courageous, it’s essential to have braveness, with a view to play for any nationwide workforce.

“Soccer followers count on to win – I promise to combat, present it on the pitch and that the gamers will present combat and braveness. I would like the workforce to deliver extra followers to return to look at the workforce. I would like followers to imagine within the nationwide workforce.”

Credentials as coach in Japan nationwide workforce and league

Ogura was a former assistant coach of the Japanese nationwide workforce from 2006 to 2010, and in addition for the Asian soccer powerhouse’s Olympic workforce from 2010 to 2012. In 2010, Ogura was a part of the teaching workers through the Guangzhou Asian Video games and the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the place Japan reached the spherical of 16.

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He additionally served as second head coach for Japan’s Olympic nationwide workforce, contributing to their commendable fourth-place end within the 2012 London Olympics. Following these stints, he labored at a number of Japanese golf equipment as assistant coach, however his one and solely head coach stint was a short-lived, 13-match one with Omiya Ardija, the place he received simply 3 times.

It was with Yokohama F. Marinos in 2019 that Ogura produced his greatest membership achievement because the membership’s sporting director with present Tottenham Hotspur supervisor Ange Postecoglou as the top coach. The duo oversaw the membership’s first J1 league title in 15 years in 2019.

Ogura subsequently joined Tokyo Verdy in 2022, and helped the workforce completed third within the J2 League final season, successful promotion by way of the play-offs to the highest tier of Japanese soccer. He left the membership in January this 12 months.

The Japanese will start preparations for Singapore’s subsequent two video games of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers towards China in March. His most vital project, in response to FAS president Bernard Tan, would be the AFF Mitsubishi Electrical Cup regional event on the finish of the 12 months.

No agenda in choosing 3 consecutive Japanese coaches

Responding to questions on the media convention, Tan dismissed speculations that FAS had an agenda to decide on solely Japanese candidates as nationwide head coach, on condition that Ogura can be the third consecutive teaching rent from Japan, following Nishigaya and Tatsuma Yoshida.

“We truly interviewed individuals from a number of nationalities, however Japan had probably the most superior ecosystem for soccer in Asia, and the adaptability of the Japanese coaches, in addition to their information of ecosystem and of soccer, would most likely place them in excessive demand,” he stated.

When requested if Nishigaya’s rent was a mistake, on condition that the Japanese had struggled with language and lack of worldwide expertise all through his tenure, Tan stated, “In soccer, there are a lot of superb managers. However within the improper time, improper place, improper circumstances, they discover it extraordinarily troublesome to ship on what is anticipated

“So I am going to put Nishigaya in that class and go away it as such.”

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