SINGAPORE – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) sacked Lions coach Takayuki Nishigaya on January 29, citing “the national team’s recent performances and results as falling short of expectations.”
The central government said in a media statement that the decision was “taken after careful consideration”. A successor will be announced soon.
The paper expressed its gratitude to Nishigaya, but added, “Recent national team performances and results have fallen short of expectations…”
“The FAS believes that an early transition to a new successor will energize the team and give it more time to prepare for important matches in the coming months and the AFF tournament at the end of the year.”
Former Japan national team assistant coach Tsutomu Ogura (57) is expected to be announced as the next national team coach soon. He will be the third consecutive Japanese to coach the Lions.
Nishigaya, 50, was hired on a two-year contract in April 2022 to replace Daruma Yoshida, who left in December 2021, one year before his contract expired.
Mr. Nishigaya was appointed following a recruitment process that took more than four months.
He was recommended to the FAS by the Japan Football Association Technical Committee, including then FAS president Lim Kia Tong, current president Bernard Tan, vice-president Teo Hock Seng, city councilor Goh That Chuan, and general secretary Yazeen. He was appointed by a committee consisting of Buhari. .
This was Nishigaya’s first overseas performance after coaching J2 side Mito Hollyhock and Japan’s third-division club SC Sagamihara.
His tenure as Lions manager ends with 21 games played, eight wins, eight losses, and five draws.
His low point in particular came in January 2023, when the Lions lost 4-1 to Malaysia before being meekly eliminated in the group stages of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Championship.
Despite winning three straight games in September and October of last year – against Guam, two World Cup qualifiers, and Chinese Taipei – the Lions generally looked miserable under Nishigaya.
His departure is not surprising given the dissatisfaction of fans and some of the players.
After Thailand’s 3-1 victory over Singapore in a World Cup qualifier at the National Stadium on November 21, some Lions supporters called for his removal, and their sentiments were echoed on social media. It spread.
The Straits Times reported a few days after the defeat that the FAS had approached candidates to replace Nishigaya and understood Ogura to be the frontrunner.
The Lions will next face China in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers on March 21 and 26. The first match will be held in Singapore.
The next AFF Championship is scheduled to be held in a home and away format from late November to December.
Lions captain Harris Harun said: He did his best and tried to be loved by the players. It’s unfortunate that things didn’t work out.
“As a national team player, we wish him all the best in his career. It is important that whoever comes in next, we work together and do our best to improve Singaporean football.” .
“I’m looking forward to the AFF tournament and qualifiers this year. Especially when you look at the teams in this region, we’re not in the best shape with the situation we’re aiming for, so we need to work hard to get better.”
Ogura served as an assistant coach at Tokyo Verdy, which was promoted to the domestic top league last season. Verdy announced Ogura’s departure on January 12th.
He was an assistant coach in Japan from 2006 to 2010 and was part of the Samurai Blue team at the 2010 World Cup, which lost in the round of 16 to Paraguay on penalties.
He was then appointed as an assistant coach for the Japanese Olympic team from 2010 to 2012, finishing in fourth place at the London Olympics.