Just yesterday (Dec 22), FIFA ranked Singapore’s national football team 165th – a fall of 3 places – one of the worst in the world like its newspaper ranking at 154th.
Like Singapore Press Holdings, the Singapore national soccer team has repeatedly brought shame to Singapore in recent years. In July, the national team lost 3-2 to a school team from Japan’s Niigata University of Health and Welfare. Just last month (Nov), Singapore was the first team to be booted out of the Asian Suzuki Cup finishing last in Group A.
Earlier this year, the team’s head coach V Sundramoorthy claimed that “results were not important”, setting the norm for incompetency. Heading the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) are ruling party PAP MPs Zainudin Nordin, PAP MP Edwin Tong, former PAP Ministers Mah Bow Tan and Ho Peng Kee. The positions are appointed by the Minister of Community, Youth and Sports (MCCY), Grace Fu.
There is no comment from Minister in-charge of Singapore sports Grace Fu on the worsening state of soccer in Singapore.