Ogura heartened by recent Lions' displays, wants home support to give South Korea 'a tough game'

SINGAPORE: The Singapore national football team faces a Herculean task to reach the third round of Asia's 2026 World Cup qualifiers. 

Not only must the Lions win their two remaining Group C games - at home against powerhouses South Korea and away to Thailand - they will also have to overcome a double-digit goal difference to stay in the running.

Qualification is also not in the team's hands as China just needs a point to eliminate Singapore.

But ahead of South Korea's visit on Jun 6, new head coach Tsutomu Ogura has called on Lions' supporters to act as "our 12th man".

Releasing ticketing details on Tuesday (Apr 30), the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said fans can buy tickets as early as Thursday if they register on the Ticketek platform and get themselves on the pre-sale waitlist that is already open.

Given an "anticipated surge in demand", fans are "strongly encouraged" to register for the waitlist, with registration closing at noon on Wednesday, FAS added. 

Public sales will start on Friday at noon and continue until the matchday itself, and prices will range between S$10 to S$40 across five categories.

While Singapore were on the receiving end of a 5-0 hammering in Seoul last November, Ogura has seen signs of improvement in the two games he has taken charge of. 

With group leaders South Korea six points ahead of third-placed Thailand on top of a superior goal difference, a win over the Lions will secure passage to the next round. 

The Taegeuk Warriors are also expected to field a plethora of stars at the National Stadium, including Tottenham Hotspur skipper Son Heung-min, Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan and Bayern Munich defender Kim-Min Jae. 

Ranked 23rd in the world, South Korea are the second-highest team in Asia after Japan, while Singapore are placed 155th, according to world football governing body FIFA. 

Although Ogura is under no illusions about the "very tough challenge" against "one of the best teams in Asia", the Japanese is heartened by the team's battling displays against China, drawing 2-2 at home and putting up stiff resistance before a 4-1 away loss.

South Korea will also have a new face in the dugout, with Hwang Sun-hong taking over on an interim basis after Jurgen Klinsmann was sacked in February in the wake of their Asian Cup disappointment. 

"I hope our fans saw the fight that our team put up in both matches against China," he said. "We will need a full capacity support of our fans to be our 12th man on the pitch and give the Koreans a tough game."

TICKET SALE

The National Stadium's 50,000-capacity will be fully opened for the game.

Upon registration for the waitlist, fans will receive a unique link upon registration for the purchase of pre-sale tickets which are exclusively available from Thursday at noon to Friday at 10am.

Fans who secure pre-sale access can enjoy a first-come, first-served limited bundle promotion with four Category 2 tickets costing S$40 (US$29), down from S$100. Only 800 tickets or 200 bundles of four will be made available.

Five thousand tickets at S$30 each have been allocated for away fans.

For those seeking an upscale experience, a new hospitality package at S$150 per person is also available. The package includes a meet and greet and photo opportunity session with Singapore football greats, F&B options as well as access to the OCBC Lounge before kick-off and during half-time.  

Fans can also buy match tickets onsite at the Singapore Sports Hub on matchday from 3pm to 9.45pm, but this is strictly subject to availability, said FAS.

It also advised fans to purchase their tickets early through the online sales channel to avoid queues "and possible disappointment on match day". 

The first two rounds of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying for the 2026 World Cup also serve as the first two stages of qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.

The top two teams from each group will move on to the next round of the World Cup qualifiers and also qualify for the Asian Cup. The remaining teams will continue to play qualifying matches, but only for entry into the Asian Cup.