Former Japan assistant coach Tsutomu Ogura confirmed as Singapore Lions boss
SINGAPORE: Tsutomu Ogura, a former assistant coach of the Japanese national football team, will take over the reins as head coach of Singapore's national side.
The 57-year-old was unveiled at a press conference at the Jalan Besar stadium on Thursday (Feb 1), confirming earlier media reports that he was next in line.
Ogura’s official title as director of Singapore's "A" & Under-22 teams means he will lead the men’s senior team while also overseeing the performances of the Under-22 team and its coach, said the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) in a press release.
This is to ensure “seamless coordination and synergy between the men’s senior and under-23/22 squads”, said FAS.
Ogura is the third consecutive Japanese coach to take charge of the Lions.
“I am pleased that we were able to convince someone of coach Ogura’s calibre to undertake the challenging role of Singapore’s national team head coach,” said FAS president Bernard Tan.
“Ogura has had a very diverse career in football, which will no doubt be helpful not just in helping improve our senior national team, but also the entire football ecosystem.”
Earlier this week, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced the sacking of Takayuki Nishigaya.Â
It came after a string of dismal results, the most recent being losses to Thailand and South Korea that rooted the Lions to the bottom of their World Cup qualifying group.
Describing the recent performances and results of the national team as "below expectations", FAS said on Monday that an "early transition to a fresh successor would re-energise the team and allow a longer runway for the national team to prepare for important matches in the next few months and the year-end AFF tournament".
The timing of the sacking, less than two years after the Japanese was appointed head coach, was reached after “careful consideration”, FAS said.
Ogura’s last role was at Japanese club Tokyo Verdy as assistant coach.
He was a former assistant coach of the Japanese national team (2006-2010) as well as the Olympic team (2010-2012).
Following those stints, he worked at several Japanese clubs including five years at Yokohama F Marinos as sports director. His last role was at Tokyo Verdy where he was also assistant coach.
The team finished third in the J2 League last season, and won promotion through the play-offs to the top tier of Japanese football.
Said Mr Tan: “He might not be as well known to local fans as some of the other candidates that we had spoken to, but I am confident that he will soon win over both the players and the fans, as well as the larger footballing fraternity.”