SINGAPORE: Japanese tactician Tatsuma Yoshida will take over as the new head coach of the Singapore men’s national team, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced on Thursday (May 30).
The 44-year-old will fill the vacancy left by V Sundramoorthy, who was the last permanent head coach to manage the Lions. Sundram stepped down from his role in April last year.
AdvertisementAdvertisement[h=3]READ: Local or foreign national coach? Football fraternity weighs in on Sundram's replacement[/h][h=3]READ: Commentary - For Singapore’s next national football coach, look to leadership skills, not nationality[/h]Following Sundram’s departure, the national side was helmed in the interim by Fandi Ahmad, whose stint ended after Singapore was eliminated in the group stages at the AFF Suzuki Cup last November.
Ex-international Nazri Nasir then led the team as caretaker during international friendlies in March this year.
AdvertisementAdvertisementYoshida, a former midfielder with now defunct local side Jurong FC, will be tasked with reviving the fortunes of the national team - currently ranked 160th in the world.
His first assignment will be a friendly game on Jun 8, when the Lions face Solomon Islands at the National Stadium. They then face Myanmar on Jun 11.
Yoshida started his coaching career as Kashiwa Reysol’s youth team coach in 2003, before he was appointed the club’s sports director from 2011 to 2014.
He went on to take up short stints as head coach of Kashiwa and Albirex Niigata. His most recent appointment was with then top-tier team Ventforet Kofu, where he was sacked last April.
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