Singapore national football team
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The Singapore national football team (, zh, 新加坡國家足球隊, ta, சிங்கப்பூர் தேசிய கால்பந்து அணி ) represents the
Republic of Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country, island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Pen ...
in the senior men's international football. It is organised by the
Football Association of Singapore The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is the governing body responsible for the administration of football in Singapore. Established in 1892 as the Singapore Football Association (SFA), it is the oldest football association in all of A ...
(FAS), the governing body of
football in Singapore Association football, known more popularly as football, is considered the national sport of Singapore. The country is home to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), the oldest football association in Asia with its roots coming from The Fo ...
, which is affiliated with the
Asian Football Confederation The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal in some countries/territories in Asia and Oceania. It has 47 member countries most of which are located in Asia. Australia, formerly ...
(AFC) and the regional
ASEAN Football Federation The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) is an organisation within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and is an international governing body of association football in Southeast Asia. It consists of the federations of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia ...
(AFF). The current head coach is
Takayuki Nishigaya is a former Japanese football player and manager who is the current head coach of the Singapore national football team. Playing career Nishigaya was born in Shizuoka on May 12, 1973. After graduating from University of Tsukuba, he joined J ...
. The team's colours are red and white. Singapore are colloquially known as "The Lions". Singapore has one of the oldest national teams in Asia, with the FAS being the oldest football association in the continent itself. Despite the country having a relatively small population pool, it has generally punched above its weight by successively producing squads that has fiercely competed with its larger and much more populated neighbours. This can be seen in its most significant successes, which have come in the regional AFF Championship, whereby Singapore had won four times in
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
, 2004–05,
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
, and
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
. Singapore was the first team to achieve this feat and the only team to win in all the finals that they had played. In 1998, Singapore defeated
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
in the final to capture the country's first major international football title. In the 2004–05 competition, Singapore defeated
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
in a two-leg final 5–2 on aggregate. Singapore retained the trophy in 2007, beating
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
3–2 on aggregate in the final. In 2012, Singapore won the trophy a record 4th time, again defeating three-time champions Thailand 3–2 on aggregate in the final. Singapore has also achieved notable results beyond its sub-confederation. In the
2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification The 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification was held in late 2005 and the final qualification round was held from February to November 2006 with 25 nations participating. For the first time, the defending champions (Japan), did not earn an automatic ...
, Singapore became the only team to beat
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
where Iraq was en route to their Asian Cup-winning campaign. Singapore also drew with
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
0–0 and 1–1 at home in 2006 and 2009 respectively. In March 2008,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
also failed to beat Singapore when the game ended in a goalless draw. During the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
was held to a draw at home at the Saitama Stadium by Singapore, being the only game where they had dropped points in the group.


History


1892–1994

In 1892, the Singapore Amateur Football Association applied to become a registered society. The HMS Malaya Cup (which was later known as the Malaysia Cup) was launched in 1921 by officers of a British battleship in Malaya, and Singapore was one of the six teams that took part in the inaugural year, and won the event. While the
representative side In sports a national representative side or team is one that plays under the national name. The phrase is often used to indicate that the team is not the official main national team. Such unofficial or subsidiary teams are usually legitimate but ...
in the
Malaysia Cup The Malaysia Cup ( ms, Piala Malaysia), formerly known as ''Malaya Cup'', is an annual football tournament in Malaysia, held at the end of the calendar year. The cup was first held in 1921. Despite its prestige and popularity as the nation's o ...
and the
Malaysian League The Malaysian League or also known as the M-League ( Malay: ''Liga Malaysia'' or ''Liga-M'') is a terminology used to describe the professional association football league in Malaysia. The terminology was mainly used to describe the league and i ...
was not the national team ''per se'' – this team included some foreign players as it is more of a club side – many Singapore football fans viewed the Singapore Lions club side as being almost synonymous to the national team as well. They either won or were runners up in the event every year until 1941, after which it was suspended because of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. Overall, Singapore won 24 Malaysia Cup titles and two Malaysian League titles. After winning the Malaysia Cup and league double in 1994, the Football Association of Singapore withdrew from the Malaysian competitions following a dispute with the
Football Association of Malaysia The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM, ms, Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia) is the national governing body of football in Malaysia responsible for organising the Malaysia national football team within the country. The Football Association o ...
over gate receipts. Singapore subsequently launched its own professional league, the S.League, in 1996, and also began to put much more focus on the performance of its national team in international competitions. At that time, Singapore hosted their first and so far, its only international competition, the 1984 AFC Asian Cup. The team was eliminated from the group stage with four points, a 2–0 win over
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
and a 1–1 draw to giant
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. In the FIFA World Rankings, Singapore's highest standing was in the first release of the figures, in August 1993, at 73rd.


1995–1999

Singapore won the bronze medal in the
1995 Southeast Asian Games The 1995 Southeast Asian Games ( th, กีฬาแห่งเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ 1995, Kila haeng echeiy tawan oak cheing tai 1995), officially known as the 18th Southeast Asian Games, was a Southe ...
, after losing 0–1 in the semi-finals to the hosts and eventual gold medalists,
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. Singapore hosted the inaugural AFF Championship (then known as Tiger Cup) in
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...
but were eliminated in the group stages. The national team again reached the semi-finals of the Southeast Asian Games in 1997, losing to
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
, and lost to
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
0–1 in the third-place match. However, in the 1998 edition of the AFF Championship, Singapore's team led by coach Barry Whitbread won the group stage with victories over Malaysia and
the Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. In the semi-finals, they beat Indonesia and subsequently edged out hosts Vietnam 1–0 in the final. This was the country's first ever international title.


2000–2002

Jan B. Poulsen Jan Børge Poulsen (born 23 March 1946) is a Danish football manager and former player who played as midfielder, spending most of his professional career at Boldklubben Frem. Coaching career During the 1980s Poulsen coached Boldklubben Frem an ...
, who was part of
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...
's backroom staff at the
1998 World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the football world championship for men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. The country was chosen as the host nation by FIFA for the ...
, was appointed the Technical Director of the
Football Association of Singapore The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is the governing body responsible for the administration of football in Singapore. Established in 1892 as the Singapore Football Association (SFA), it is the oldest football association in all of A ...
in 1999. Due to poor results by Singapore in the 2000 AFF Championship, coach
Vincent Subramaniam Vincent Subramaniam (born 28 January 1955) is a Singaporean football coach. Educated at Victoria School, Vincent was most recently in charge of Young Lions. He was the national coach of the Singapore national team from 1998 to 2001. He has al ...
was sacked and Poulsen took over as coach in December 2000. Singapore hosted the 2002 AFF Championship, but lost 0–4 to arch-rivals
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
in their first game. Before the game, local newspaper ''
The New Paper ''The New Paper'' is a Singaporean newspaper in tabloid form. It was originally published as a "noon paper", but since 2016 has been published daily as a freesheet in the morning from 7 a.m. onwards. History First launched on 26 July 1988, ...
'' was encouraging fans to turn up in numbers. After the game, the Lions attributed their heavy defeat to the unexpected large crowd. Singapore went on to win 2–1 over
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...
, but a 1–1 draw in the final group game against Thailand was not enough for them to reach the knock-out stages. Poulsen was sacked after the tournament.


2003–2004 (AFF Championship)

Radojko Avramović took over as coach of the flailing and deflated Singapore national football team in July 2003. Singapore started the 2004 AFF Championship as underdogs but a 1–1 draw in their first game against hosts Vietnam, another draw against Indonesia, and wins against
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
and Laos saw them qualify for the semi-finals. Singapore were drawn against
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
in the two-legged semi-finals. Singapore took a 4–3 away lead back home for the second leg. In the ill-tempered second leg, three Myanmar players were sent off and a reserve Myanmar goalkeeper even threw a water bottle at defender S. Subramani. Singapore went on to win 4–2 after extra time for an 8–5 aggregate victory. Singapore then won the first leg of the two-legged final against Indonesia 3–1 in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...
, before winning 2–1 (5–2 on aggregate) in the second leg in front of a strong 55,000 home crowd at the former National Stadium.


2007 Asian Cup Qualifiers

In 2006, Avramovic then led Singapore into the 2007 Asian Cup qualifiers with a 2–0 victory at home over
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, but Singapore failed to build on this victory and then lost away to Palestine. The Singapore team then took on
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
away in
Tianjin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popu ...
and lost to an injury time penalty. China travelled to Singapore for the second meeting and the Singapore defence held out for a 0–0 draw. A subsequent 2–4 loss to Iraq dashed Singapore's hopes of qualifying for the Asian Cup. The Asian Cup qualifying campaign ended with a default 3–0 victory over Palestine, who were unable to fulfil the fixture.


2007 AFF Championship

Singapore hosted the group stages of the
2007 AFF Championship The 2007 AFF Championship was the 6th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of Southeast Asia. The group stage was co-hosted by Singapore and Thailand from 12 to 17 January. Knockout stage with two-leg Home-and-away format w ...
. After a 0–0 draw with Vietnam, Singapore then thrashed Laos 11–0 to record their largest-ever win. In the final group match, Singapore knocked Indonesia out of the tournament in a 2–2 draw. Singapore met Malaysia in the semi-final. The first leg saw a 1–1 draw in
Shah Alam Shah Alam () is a city and the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia and situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighbouring Klang District. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selango ...
, while in the second leg at Singapore's National Stadium, following another 1–1 draw, Singapore beat Malaysia in a penalty shoot-out 5–4, goalkeeper Lionel Lewis saving the final Malaysian spot kick from Mohd Khyril Muhymeen Zambri. In the final against Thailand, Singapore won a controversial first leg at home 2–1, then secured a 1–1 draw in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
thanks to a late strike from
Khairul Amri Mohammad Khairul Amri bin Mohammad Kamal (born 14 March 1985) is a Singaporean footballer who plays as a forward for Tanjong Pagar United in the Singapore Premier League. He is known for his pace, sharp dribbling skills and a powerful shot w ...
to retain the AFF Championship trophy.


2008 AFF Championship

In the
2008 AFF Championship The 2008 AFF Championship was the seventh edition of the tournament. It was primarily sponsored by Suzuki and therefore officially known as the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup. The group stage was held in Indonesia and Thailand from 5 to 10 December 2008. T ...
co-hosted by Indonesia and Thailand, Singapore was drawn in Group A to against
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
,
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
and
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
. Singapore progressed from the group as winners. However, they lost out to eventual winners
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
0–1 on aggregate.


2010 World Cup Qualifiers

Singapore met Palestine in the first round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifying Tournament. Singapore won the first leg 4–0 away in Doha, and the Palestinians again failed to fulfil the away fixture, so
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
awarded Singapore a 3–0 win. Singapore was drawn with
Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...
in the second round: Singapore won the home match 2–0 and drew the return leg 1–1 on 18 November to progress to the third round of the Asian Qualifying Tournament for the first time, where they were drawn against Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Uzbekistan. Singapore's group stage campaign began with a loss to
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
, but the Lions then beat
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...
2–0 at home. Successive losses to
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...
, 3–7 and 0–1, left Singapore with little chance of getting into the next round. Singapore were finally eliminated when they lost 0–2 to the Saudis at home. FIFA later awarded Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan both a 3–0 win, where they won 2–0 and 1–0 respectively, due to Singapore fielding
Qiu Li Qiu Li (, born June 6, 1981 in Shenyang, Liaoning, China) is a naturalised Chinese- Singaporean former professional association football player and current assistant coach of Shenyang Urban F.C. Playing career Club career Qiu started ...
, who is not eligible to represent Singapore.Qiu ineligible for Singapore – FIFA
the-AFC.com, 4 December 2008.
Singapore finished third in the group with six points from six games after defeating Lebanon 2–1 in
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
in their final game. With the elimination, Goal 2010 was ended.


2011 Asian Cup Qualification

For the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Singapore was drawn in Group E, together with
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
and
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
. Singapore were beaten 0–6 by Iran in the first match, and then defeated Jordan 2–1. In November 2009, Singapore hosted
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
at the National Stadium and lost 3–1, but won the return fixture 1–0 a few days later, earning Singapore their first victory on Thai soil in 48 years. Singapore next hosted Iran, losing 1–3, and the 1–2 defeat against Jordan which followed ended their hopes of Asian Cup football in 2011. The players reported some teammates were smoking during halftime in the match against Jordan.


2010 AFF Championship

In 2010, Singapore drew with the Philippines 1–1, defeated Myanmar 2–1, then duly lost to Vietnam 0–1 in the knockout stage decider. As a result, the Singapore national football team was knocked out of the group stage in Hanoi. The Lions were criticised for their dismal performances in the AFF Championship, which they won in 1998, 2004, and 2007.


2011–2012

In January 2011, the FAS decided to disband and revamp the national team. Six months later, The Lions were back in action after the dismal performances in 2010. In May 2011, national team coach Raddy Avramovic announced the new 33-strong national provisional squad for the upcoming international friendlies and 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. The Lions were scheduled to play international friendlies against
Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
on 7 June 2011 and
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...
on 18 July 2011. Few days after releasing the provisional 33-man squad, national team training started in preparation of the match against Maldives. Avramovic led the new-look Lions in a game where Singapore won Maldives 4–0 at the
Jalan Besar Stadium Jalan Besar Stadium, officially the Jalan Besar ActiveSG Stadium, is a football stadium located in Kallang, Singapore. The stadium is part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that includes the stadium a ...
,
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
in a friendly match. (Note. The match was not an 'A' international because unlimited substitutions were allowed.) After the 4–0 win against Maldives, a closed-door friendly match against Etoile FC (of the S.League) was played at the
Jalan Besar Stadium Jalan Besar Stadium, officially the Jalan Besar ActiveSG Stadium, is a football stadium located in Kallang, Singapore. The stadium is part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that includes the stadium a ...
, in which the Lions were triumphant thanks to goals from
Aleksandar Duric Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
and
Qiu Li Qiu Li (, born June 6, 1981 in Shenyang, Liaoning, China) is a naturalised Chinese- Singaporean former professional association football player and current assistant coach of Shenyang Urban F.C. Playing career Club career Qiu started ...
. Less than a week later before the World Cup qualifier, a final friendly was played against
Chinese Taipei "Chinese Taipei" is the term used in various international organizations and tournaments for groups or delegations representing the Republic of China (ROC), a country commonly known as Taiwan. Due to the One-China principle stipulated by the ...
. Singapore won the match 3–2 with goals from
Aleksandar Duric Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
,
Shi Jiayi Shi Jiayi ( born 2 September 1983) is a naturalized Singaporean former footballer who played as a midfielder. Club career Born in Shanghai, China, Shi started his career at Shanghai state's Football Academy. He moved to Singaporean's Sinchi F ...
and Fazrul Nawaz. In preparation for the third round of the World Cup Qualifiers, the Lions played a friendly non-'A' match against
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
before their opening qualifier against
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
. The friendly finished 0–0. The Singapore national team took part in the 10th edition of the Sultan of Selangor Cup, usually contested by the Singapore Selection. They beat the Selangor Selection 1–0. This was also Singapore's sixth time winning the Sultan of Selangor Cup. They then took on but was defeated by
the Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
0–2 in a friendly. Few months later, Coach Raddy Avramovic announced a new 27-man squad for the national team comprising mostly players from LionsXII.


2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (Asian Qualifier)

Singapore received a bye to the second round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification in 2011 because of their accession to the third round of the qualifying in the previous World Cup. Their second round opponents were regional rivals
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
, whom they beat 5–3 in the first leg with goals from
Aleksandar Duric Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
,
Qiu Li Qiu Li (, born June 6, 1981 in Shenyang, Liaoning, China) is a naturalised Chinese- Singaporean former professional association football player and current assistant coach of Shenyang Urban F.C. Playing career Club career Qiu started ...
, Mustafic Fahrudin and
Shi Jiayi Shi Jiayi ( born 2 September 1983) is a naturalized Singaporean former footballer who played as a midfielder. Club career Born in Shanghai, China, Shi started his career at Shanghai state's Football Academy. He moved to Singaporean's Sinchi F ...
. The second leg was held at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil on 28 July 2011. A 1–1 draw thanks to a key
Shi Jiayi Shi Jiayi ( born 2 September 1983) is a naturalized Singaporean former footballer who played as a midfielder. Club career Born in Shanghai, China, Shi started his career at Shanghai state's Football Academy. He moved to Singaporean's Sinchi F ...
goal in the second half was enough to put Singapore through to the 3rd Round of Asian Zone World Cup 2014 Qualifying. In the preliminary draw in
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
on 30 July 2011 by the football governing body
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
, Singapore was drawn into Group A for their Round 3 of the Asian qualifiers with Jordan, Iraq and China. Singapore kicked off the third round with a 1–2 loss to
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
in Kunming. They then succumbed to a second defeat, 0–2, against Iraq. The next match was slated to be held at
Jalan Besar Stadium Jalan Besar Stadium, officially the Jalan Besar ActiveSG Stadium, is a football stadium located in Kallang, Singapore. The stadium is part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that includes the stadium a ...
,
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
on 11 October against
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
which Singapore lost 0–3. A 0–2 defeat to Jordan in Amman killed off the Lions' chances of progress. Singapore ended the year with a 0–4 defeat at home to China PR, their 5th consecutive loss. Iraq then dealt the Singapore team a heavy 1–7 loss in
Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor, it is home to m ...
,
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
, with Singapore bowing out with no wins. In 2012, Singapore started their tournament with a 3–0 win over close rivals
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
. They then lost 0–1 to Indonesia before winning 4–3 in the knockout stage decider against
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...
. to top the group and qualify for the semi-finals. Against the Philippines in the semi-finals, Singapore won 1–0 on aggregate. The solitary goal from
Khairul Amri Mohammad Khairul Amri bin Mohammad Kamal (born 14 March 1985) is a Singaporean footballer who plays as a forward for Tanjong Pagar United in the Singapore Premier League. He is known for his pace, sharp dribbling skills and a powerful shot w ...
during the home leg of the semi-finals was enough to set up a meeting with
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
in the finals. The Lions won the first leg of the finals 3–1 in Singapore. Despite losing the away leg 0–1, Singapore was able to pick up the 2012 AFF Championship, their fourth championship. Singapore holds the record for the highest number of AFF Championship titles. Raddy Avramovic ended his tenure as Singapore coach after the tournament.


2015 Asian Cup Qualification

For the
2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification The 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification was a qualification process organized by the AFC to determine the participating teams for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. The 2015 AFC Asian Cup, hosted by Australia, featured 16 teams. In the initial scheme, ten pla ...
, Singapore was drawn in Group A, together with
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
,
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and
Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...
. Singapore were beaten 0–4 by Jordan in the first match, and then loss to Jordan with a scoreline of 0–2. In October 2013, Singapore hosted
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
at the Jalan Besar Stadium and with their first win of the campaign with a 2–1 victory thanks to
Gabriel Quak Gabriel Quak Jun Yi (, born 22 December 1990) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a winger for the Singapore national team. Club career Young Lions Quak began his professional football career with Under-23 side Young Li ...
's late winner which was also his first international goal. But a month later, Syria won Singapore in the return fixture 0–4. Singapore next hosted Jordan, losing 1–3, and the 1–3 defeat against Oman which followed ended their hopes of Asian Cup football in 2015.


2013–2014

The FAS announced on 15 May 2013 that they had appointed
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
Bernd Stange as the new head coach of the national team. On 27 May 2013, Stange announced his choice of 23 players for the friendlies against Myanmar and Laos on 4 June 2013 and 7 June 2013 respectively. The squad featured several new players who were called up to the national squad for the first time, including 17-year-old
Adam Swandi Adam Bin Swandi (born 12 January 1996) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors and the Singapore national team. Personal life Adam was born to father Swandi Ki ...
. LionsXII midfielders
Gabriel Quak Gabriel Quak Jun Yi (, born 22 December 1990) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a winger for the Singapore national team. Club career Young Lions Quak began his professional football career with Under-23 side Young Li ...
and Faris Ramli and Tanjong Pagar United's winger
Hafiz Nor Mohammad Hafiz bin Mohd Nor (born 22 August 1988) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a full-back or winger for Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors and the Singapore national team. Club career Tanjong Pagar Uni ...
also received their first national call-ups. Veteran forward
Indra Sahdan Indra Sahdan bin Daud (born 5 March 1979) is a former Singapore international footballer who played as a forward. He previously played for S.League clubs Geylang United, Home United, Sengkang Punggol and Singapore Armed Forces. He is know ...
was also recalled to the national team. He took the captain's armband on 4 June 2013 for coach Stange's first game against Myanmar which Singapore won 2–0. He also scored the first goal in the second friendly match against
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...
, which saw Singapore with a 5–2 victory. Following the two wins, Singapore's FIFA World Rankings rose nine places to 156 in July 2013. Stange registered his first international competition win on 15 October 2013 against
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. Stange had been trying to inculcate the one-touch, quick-tempo style of play for into the Singapore team, and gear the team up for the
2014 AFF Championship The 2014 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and officially known as the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 10th edition of the AFF Championship, an international association football competition consisting of national teams of member nations of the ...
and try to retain the AFF Championship. Michel Sablon, the man credited for Belgium's rise in football, has been unveiled as the new technical director of the Football Association of Singapore too.


2014 AFF Championship

The Lions entered the
2014 AFF Championship The 2014 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and officially known as the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 10th edition of the AFF Championship, an international association football competition consisting of national teams of member nations of the ...
as the defending champions trying to defend the cup on home soil, but their title defence was spoiled with a 1–2 defeat over Thailand, which they also faced back in 2012. Then, they beat Myanmar 4–2 before bowing out after suffering a 1–3 defeat to rivals Malaysia. The Lions finished with 3 points and 3rd in Group B, and are the first team in the history of the AFF Championship to bow out from the group stage as the defending champions.


2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier)

The Lions kick started their campaign with an away game against
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
on 11 June 2015 which ended 4–0 in favour of Singapore. Following which, they travelled to Saitama Stadium in Japan where they held the hosts to a goalless draw. However, they were defeated by Syria 0–1, at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat, Oman, marking their first loss in the group stages of the tournament. The Lions then beat Afghanistan by a scoreline of 1–0 and their 2nd consecutive win against Cambodia, winning the game 2–1. However, the winning streak ended when they faced Japan at home, and were defeated 0–3. They then went on to face Syria, which was a tight game. Khribin of Syria scored on the 20th minute and were 0-1 up. Safuwan of Singapore scored a late equaliser on the 89th minute but Singapore could not hold on to the draw which ended Khribin again scoring on the 3rd minute of added time after the 90th minute, this resulted in a 1–2 loss to Singapore. Singapore played their final game against Afghanistan and were defeated 1–2. Singapore finished in third place in the table with a total points of 10.


2016

In April 2016, a month after the match against Afghanistan, the FAS announced that Bernd Stange contract would not be renewed and he left the Singapore national football team. After a few months of Stange's departure, FAS announced the new caretaker coach was to be then
Tampines Rovers Tampines Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that competes in the Singapore Premier League, the top tier of Singapore football league system. Founded in 1945, the club have won the national league c ...
head coach V. Sundramoorthy. Sundram's first major tournament was the 2016 AYA Bank Cup in June where the team won host
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
and went on to the finals against
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
. In that match, the two teams drew after 90 mins and went on to extra time where Singapore conceded 3 goals to clinch second. After a few months, Sundram and FAS arranged the long-awaited Causeway Challenge against Singapore's rival,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
. In that match, Singapore created a lot of chances and dominated the game but was unfortunate to end the game with a 0–0 draw. In 2016, Sundram also called up a few uncapped players like Syazwan Buhari, Khairulhin Khalid,
Irfan Fandi Irfan bin Fandi Ahmad (born 13 August 1997), more commonly known as Irfan Fandi or mononymously as Irfan, is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Thai League 1 club BG Pathum United and the Singapore national te ...
, Abdil Qaiyyim, Shawal Anuar, Azhar Sairudin and
Amy Recha Amy Recha Pristifana bin Samion (born 13 May 1992) is a Singaporean association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for Singapore Premier League side Hougang United FC, Hougang United and the Singapore nat ...
. Many of which has at least one cap to their name. Although Hami Syahin was not called up for any matches, he was registered in the 40 man provisional squad for the
2016 AFF Championship The 2016 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and officially known as the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016, was the 11th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of nations affiliated to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). The whole tourn ...
. Sundram also recalled several players like Daniel Bennett, Mustafic Fahrudin, Zulfadli Zainal and
Hafiz Nor Mohammad Hafiz bin Mohd Nor (born 22 August 1988) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a full-back or winger for Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors and the Singapore national team. Club career Tanjong Pagar Uni ...
. Ridhuan Muhammad was not recalled for any matches but was registered in the 40-man provisional squad for the
2016 AFF Championship The 2016 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and officially known as the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016, was the 11th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of nations affiliated to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). The whole tourn ...
. Sundram also gave chances to the two players, Shahfiq Ghani and Shahdan Sulaiman who both just recovered from long-term injuries to prove themselves.


2016 AFF Championship

In 2016, Singapore was grouped with ASEAN giants, Thailand together with Indonesia and Philippines and was grouped in the "Group of Death" as the teams in this group were tough. Singapore then started their tournament with a 0–0 draw over
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. They then lost 0–1 to Thailand where Thailand's Sarawut Masuk scored a late winner in the 89th minute. Singapore actually needed at least a draw with Indonesia and Thailand have to beat Philippines to qualify for the semi-finals. It was great news in the first half as Singapore was leading 1–0 but Singapore's defence went to sleep and conceded 2 late goals for Indonesia to qualify for the semi-finals. Singapore ended their 2016 AFF Championship at the bottom of the table.


2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification – Third Round

Singapore started their
2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification – Third Round Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...
campaign against
Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and a ...
on 28 March 2017. Singapore drew with
Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and a ...
with a score-line of 0–0. In Singapore's next game, they went on to play against
Chinese Taipei "Chinese Taipei" is the term used in various international organizations and tournaments for groups or delegations representing the Republic of China (ROC), a country commonly known as Taiwan. Due to the One-China principle stipulated by the ...
where they lost 1–2 at home with Singapore's vice-captain Hariss Harun scoring and
Xavier Chen Xavier Chen (; born 5 October 1983) is a former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He began his youth career with Anderlecht before moving to KV Kortrijk where he first played at senior level (2003–2007). After Kortrijk, he sp ...
and
Chen Chao-an Chen Chao-an (; born 22 June 1995) is a Taiwanese footballer who currently plays as a striker for Taichung FUTURO and the Chinese Taipei national football team The Chinese Taipei national football team represents Taiwan (the Republic of ...
scoring for the visitors. Singapore's head coach V. Sundramoorthy introduced a National Team Day where Mondays are for players who are called up for a short meeting and tactical training session in the pitch. In this call up, Sundram recalled players like
Raihan Rahman Muhammad Raihan bin Abdul Rahman (born 7 February 1991), more commonly known as Raihan Rahman or monoymously as Raihan, is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Tanjong Pagar United ...
. Sundram also called up the uncapped Ho Wai Loon tas a standby player for matches against
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
and
Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and a ...
. Sundram also called up uncapped
Muhaimin Suhaimi Muhammad Muhaimin bin Suhaimi (born 20 February 1995) is a Singaporean professional footballer who last played as a full-back or midfielder for Singapore Premier League side Hougang United and the Singapore national team. Club career He ...
for the friendly against
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
, the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifiers against
Chinese Taipei "Chinese Taipei" is the term used in various international organizations and tournaments for groups or delegations representing the Republic of China (ROC), a country commonly known as Taiwan. Due to the One-China principle stipulated by the ...
and the friendly against
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
. They made history for not winning any match in a year, reaching the lowest FIFA ranking ever of 173rd placing. Singapore finished bottom of the group with 2 points, losing the final match 1–0 to secure home-and-away losses against Chinese Taipei on 26 March 2018.


Team image


Kits

There have been different suppliers for the jerseys, from
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...
, Puma,
Umbro Umbro is an English sports equipment manufacturer founded in 1924 in Wilmslow, Cheshire and based in Manchester. They specialise in football and rugby sportswear featuring their ''Double Diamond'' logo. Umbro products are marketed in over 1 ...
, Grand Sport to
Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living Felidae, cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily pr ...
. As of 2022, Nike is the supplier for the national team. Singapore had initially worn blue shirts and shorts as their home kit. However, in the late 1980s, The Lions adopted the
national colours National colours are frequently part of a country's set of national symbols. Many states and nations have formally adopted a set of colours as their official "national colours" while others have '' de facto'' national colours that have become we ...
of red and white for their home kit while they kept blue as the colour for the away kit. This tradition stayed on through the 1990s. For the
2007 AFF Championship The 2007 AFF Championship was the 6th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of Southeast Asia. The group stage was co-hosted by Singapore and Thailand from 12 to 17 January. Knockout stage with two-leg Home-and-away format w ...
, the national team's colours reverted to blue as its home kit and white as the other kit. Before 2006, Singapore had been using the same kit for nearly 5 years, supplied by
Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living Felidae, cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily pr ...
who had a tie-in with
Diadora Diadora is an Italian sportswear and footwear manufacturing company based in Caerano di San Marco ( Veneto), subsidiary of Geox, founded in 1948. Diadora produces football boots and athletic shoes, as well as a range of apparel that includes ...
. The kit used during the 2007 AFF Championship made its final appearance on 4 February 2007 against
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. The next kit was first used on 24 June 2007 against DPR Korea. The jersey has white trims at the edge of the sleeves and around the neck. Unlike most national teams which use the country's footballing association as a logo on the kit, the national flag of
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
takes up the spot on the left chest instead while a white Nike logo is on the right chest and this symmetry also applies to the away jersey. The numbering and lettering font and colour is the same as the previous two home jerseys. In 2008, tight-fit jerseys were revealed in the two traditional team colours: red for the home games and blue for the away matches. The kit was worn for the first time by the national team in the international friendly against Australia in preparation for the World Cup 2010 qualifier home game against
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...
on 26 March 2008. In November 2010, Nike launched a new football kit for Singapore, specially made for the
2010 AFF Championship The 2010 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and P&G and officially known as the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 8th edition of the AFF Championship, took place on 1–29 December 2010. Indonesia and Vietnam hosted the group stage from 1 to 8 D ...
. The home kit's design was of half dark red and light red. The away kit features half navy blue and light blue that was once worn by Singapore football team in 1970's era. In recent years, the national team kits would often also include the FAS logo, either exclusively or along with the Singapore flag. The 2022 to 2024 jerseys were worn for the first time during the team's friendly against Maldives on 17 December 2022, which they won 3–1. This is also the team's jersey for the
2022 AFF Championship The 2022 AFF Championship (officially AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 due to sponsorship reasons) was the 14th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of nations affiliated to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and was the 1 ...
.


Home stadium

From 1932 until the National Stadium was opened in 1973,
Jalan Besar Stadium Jalan Besar Stadium, officially the Jalan Besar ActiveSG Stadium, is a football stadium located in Kallang, Singapore. The stadium is part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that includes the stadium a ...
hosted all home games of Singapore's representative sides which participated in the
Malaysia Cup The Malaysia Cup ( ms, Piala Malaysia), formerly known as ''Malaya Cup'', is an annual football tournament in Malaysia, held at the end of the calendar year. The cup was first held in 1921. Despite its prestige and popularity as the nation's o ...
. Since then, all of Singapore's home games in the Malaysia Cup and the national team home matches were played at the National Stadium. However, the National Stadium was slated for demolishment in 2010 to make way for the new
Singapore Sports Hub The Singapore Sports Hub ( Chinese: 新加坡体育城; Malay: Hab Sukan Singapura; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் விளையாட்டு மையம்) is a sports and recreation district in Kallang, Singapore. The Sport ...
which was completed in 2014. Singapore played
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
in what was planned to be the last game ever to be played at that stadium. However, due to some delays caused by the addition of new plans for the Singapore Sports Hub, the National Stadium continued to host 5 more matches, and it was also the venue for 2 more
World Cup 2010 , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
qualifier matches. While the stadium was being rebuilt as part of the new Sports Hub, the Singapore national team played its home games at the
Jalan Besar Stadium Jalan Besar Stadium, officially the Jalan Besar ActiveSG Stadium, is a football stadium located in Kallang, Singapore. The stadium is part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that includes the stadium a ...
, sharing it with the LionsXII and the Cubs (U15 and U16 teams). Since the start of 2004, Singapore has played its home matches in 7 different stadiums all over Singapore.


Results and fixtures


2022


2023


Current coaching staff


Coaching history

* Lim Yong Liang (1936–1941) * Rahim Sattar (1960–1963) * Harith Omar (1963–1965) * Choo Seng Quee (1964–1967, 1971, 1976–1977) * Yap Boon Chuan (1968–1971) * Mick Walker (1972–1974) * Ibrahim Awang (1974–1975) *
Trevor Hartley Trevor Hartley (born 16 March 1947) is an English former footballer with West Ham United and Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic and football manager with AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur. Biography Footballing career Trevor Hartley was born ...
(1975–1976) * Sebastian Yap (1977–1978) * Jita Singh (1979–1984, 1989) * Hussein Aljunied (1984–1986) *
Seak Poh Leong Seak Poh Leong (born 1952) is a former Singapore national football team captain who played for National Football League side Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association and Singapore FA in the Malaysia Cup as a midfielder. He was the national tea ...
(1987–1988) * / Robin Chan (1990–1992) * Milouš Kvaček (1992) * P.N. Sivaji (1992–1993) *
Ken Worden Ken Worden (2 February 1943 – 20 September 2021) was an English-born football coach and a player. Worden was born on 2 February 1943, in Preston, Lancashire, England. Worden was more successful in Australia as player and coach, notably a ...
(1994)Officially appointed as national coach on 1 January 1994. * / Douglas Moore (1994–1995)Appointed S.League CEO in May 1995. * Barry Whitbread (1995–1998) *
Vincent Subramaniam Vincent Subramaniam (born 28 January 1955) is a Singaporean football coach. Educated at Victoria School, Vincent was most recently in charge of Young Lions. He was the national coach of the Singapore national team from 1998 to 2001. He has al ...
(1998–2000) *
Jan B. Poulsen Jan Børge Poulsen (born 23 March 1946) is a Danish football manager and former player who played as midfielder, spending most of his professional career at Boldklubben Frem. Coaching career During the 1980s Poulsen coached Boldklubben Frem an ...
(2000–2003) * Radojko Avramović (2003–2012) * V. Sundramoorthy (2013, 2016–2018) * Bernd Stange (2013–2016) * Fandi Ahmad (2018) *
Nazri Nasir Nazri Nasir (born 17 January 1971) is a Singaporean professional football manager and former footballer. He was the captain of the Singapore national team from 1997 to 2003, and led the team to the 1998 AFF Championship title. He was a defen ...
(interim) (2019, 2022) *
Tatsuma Yoshida is a Japanese football manager and former player. He was previously the head coach of the Singapore national team, serving from 2019 to 2021. He was most recently the head coach of Ventforet Kofu. As a player, Yoshida spent the majority of h ...
(2019–2021) *
Takayuki Nishigaya is a former Japanese football player and manager who is the current head coach of the Singapore national football team. Playing career Nishigaya was born in Shizuoka on May 12, 1973. After graduating from University of Tsukuba, he joined J ...
(2022–present)


Coaching statistics

The following table provides a summary of the Singapore national team under each coach. Includes both competitive and friendly matches.


Players


Current Squad

The following 23 players were selected for the final Singapore squad named for the
2022 AFF Championship The 2022 AFF Championship (officially AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 due to sponsorship reasons) was the 14th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of nations affiliated to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and was the 1 ...
. ''Caps and goals updated as of 24 Dec 2022, after the match against .''


Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up in the last 24 months to the Singapore squad. WD INJ INJ WD Notes: * COV Player out due to COVID / COVID warning * INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury * PRE Preliminary squad * STA Player on standby * SUS Player suspended * RET Retired from the national team * WD Player withdrew from the squad


Player records

:''Players in bold are still active with Singapore.''


Most appearances

:NB The list is incomplete as David Lee, Malek Awab,
Samad Allapitchay Samad Allapitchay (born 1950) is a former Singapore national football team captain who played for National Football League sides Geylang International and Tampines Rovers, and the Singapore Lions in the Malaysia Cup as a centre-back. Samad was ...
and Dollah Kassim each, reportedly, have over a hundred caps - however exact figures are still being researched.


Top goalscorers


Competitive record


FIFA World Cup


AFC Asian Cup


Asian Games


AFF Championship


SEA Games record


Head-to-head record

Below is a list of matches of Singapore's matches against FIFA-recognised teams.


Honours

;Regional * AFF Championship : Champions (4):
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
,
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
,
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
,
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
: Third place:
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, 2020 *
Southeast Asian Games The Southeast Asian Games, also known as the SEA Games, is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with sup ...
: Silver medalists (3): 1983,
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
,
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
: Bronze medalists (4):
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
,
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
, 1993,
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...
;Minor Titles * AYA Bank Cup :* Runners-up (1):
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
* AirMarine Cup :* Runners-up (1):
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
* Tri-Nation Series :* Champions (1): 2022


See also

* Singapore national under-23 football team * Singapore national youth football team * Young Lions *
Singapore women's national football team The Singapore women's national football team represents the city-state of Singapore in international women's football and is organised by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), the governing body for football in Singapore. History Wome ...


Notes and references


Notes


References


External links


The Football Association of Singapore
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singapore National Football Team Asian national association football teams