Departing Singapore coach Tsutomu Ogura hails Lions spirit urges players to make history

SINGAPORE – Being congratulated after a comeback 2-2 draw with China triggered a terse reaction from Tsutomu Ogura on his debut as Singapore coach in March 2024. He criticised that mindset, insisting that the Lions should never be satisfied with a draw.

After stepping down prematurely as Lions coach 15 months later, he expressed pride that there has been a mentality shift under his watch.

The manner of the 2-1 away victory over Bangladesh in an Asian Cup qualifier on June 10 – with players dissatisfied despite having overcome physical opponents before a partisan home crowd – is a sign that the Lions are now demanding more from themselves and one another.

The Japanese coach highlighted that even those who did not play in Dhaka were animated on the sidelines, encouraging their on-field teammates to see out the victory.

“I am very proud... because there has been a change (in mentality),” said the 58-year-old as he looked back on his Lions stint in an exclusive interview with The Straits Times.

“Even in our first Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong (which ended in a 0-0 draw in March) who are higher than us in ranking, nobody was satisfied with the draw. People were disappointed and felt we should win. I am very happy about this.”

The Japanese, who was appointed in February 2024 on a two-year contract, resigned due to personal reasons, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced on June 24.

While his tenure is over after 509 days, Ogura is heartened by the players’ showing in his 16th and last match in charge.

“Bangladesh was a very hard game for us, because it was an away match, in a full stadium of home fans,” he added. “It was physical and it was at the end of a long