Nationality of next Singapore football head coach should not matter, says departing Ogura
"Most important is that the players be professional (in their) mentality and attitude. And not only the players, that the whole environment - our coaching staff, our backroom staff - be professional, be one team and be positive," he said.
"If there's something that has changed in the past 18 months, I think this is the part ... But we need more."
FORGING THE SINGAPORE WAY
Ogura said that he was positive in his outlook for Singapore football, but stressed that the country must not follow the approach taken by other nations.
This is something he has tried to implement on the pitch from day one, constantly emphasising that the Lions need to play their own brand of football.
"Singapore has Singapore's specific culture, specific situation, specific environment. This (can not be) compared with other Southeast Asian countries," Ogura said.
Ogura added that what is key for the future of Singapore's future is improving coach education, as well as youth development. Should these two aspects of a "triangle" improve, Singapore football can move forward, he said.
"Singapore must look for (its) own way, not chasing another country, or chasing another (way of) how to do (things). In Japan, we were chasing Germany, chasing Spain, chasing other countries (ways of doing things)," said Ogura.
"But chasing always means you're behind and not going (in front)."
Ultimately, Ogura leaves with a positivity about the future of Singapore football.
He recalled how the team held firm in their last game, a tricky away tie to Bangladesh and did not capitulate as they might have in the past.
"I was very proud of our players. Our players had their own identity and kept the confidence," he said.
After rewatching the match, Ogura recalled how the players were constantly communicating with one another, all the way to the final whistle.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
England manager Wiegman not for sale, says FA's Bullingham
ZURICH :England plan to hang on tightly to coach Sarina Wiegman, with Football Association executive Mark Bullingham saying she is not for sale at any price. Wiegman, who is under contract with England until 2027, will coach the Lionesses at a third consecutive major tournament final on Sunday, at Euro 2025. Asked if it would be difficult to retain the 55-year-old after another successful tournament, and if there was any price that would sway the FA to let her leave, Bullingham said: "No price at all. "We are committed to her until 2027, she's committed to us, and I know that her focus, hopefully after a success on Sunday, will shift quite quickly to '27," he said in a media briefing on Thursday at England's base camp. Wiegman is the first manager in either the men's or women's game to feature in five successive major finals, including two with the Netherlands, and Bullingham sang her praises on Thursday. "Her record of ... reaching five finals is phenomenal, I don't believe anyone's been anywhere near that in the past," he added. "I think this could be really hard for anyone to do in the future." Bullingham shared a hug with Wiegman after England squeezed through their quarter-final against Sweden, scoring two late goals and then coming out on top in a penalty shootout that featured more misses than goals. Asked what the two shared in that moment, Bullingham laughed and said that it was not "anything that can be shared here." While Wiegman has been lauded for her remarkable record, she has also been lambasted for her steadfast selection approach during the tournament, with critics arguing for earlier substitutions. "We've got a really special coach, and I think we should all recognise that," Bullingham said. "The tournament record is incredible, but I also see the work she does with the players, the relationships she builds, the connection she builds in camps are phenomenal. "And just a cool head, and the way she transmits that on the pitch, she normally at least looks like the coolest person in the stadium. I feel she's a really special coach and we're lucky to have her." England, along with Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, is the sole bidder to host the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup and Bullingham hopes the team's success in Switzerland will create a groundswell of support. "Our hope is that it will help inspire more positive momentum for that and for support for that, amongst fans throughout the country as well," he said. "Hopefully a lot more younger girls throughout the country who will be looking at 2035 and thinking, 'what a fantastic opportunity for me'." England saw a boost in the numbers of girls taking up soccer after the team's Euro 2022 victory, and Bullingham, who also coaches at the grassroots level, hopes to see more girls flocking to the game after watching the Lionesses this past month. "Our hope is that we use this tournament as another trampoline to push further for women's and girls' football," he said. "I've seen the impact when we do well in these tournaments, and we're definitely looking for that impact again after this one."
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Singapore's artistic swimmers wrap up World Aquatics Championships campaign
Singapore's artistic swimming team has wrapped up its World Aquatics Championships campaign, registering personal bests in three of the six events. Although they failed to reach any of the finals, the team said the higher-level competition and more focused training can help their athletes get closer to the standards of the world's best. Alif Amsyar reports.
CNA
5 hours ago
- CNA
Spain set sights on England as they chase elusive European crown
ZURICH :Spain's remarkable run in international competitions reaches another high on Sunday when they take on England in the final at the Women's Euros in Basel, playing in their first European decider in only their fifth appearance at the tournament. The reigning world and Nations League champions will be looking for a repeat of their defeat of England in the 2023 World Cup final as they seek to add the European crown to their trophy cabinet. "Now we'll start looking at England more closely, although our analysts have already been watching them live and studying their performance in this Euro," Spain coach Montse Torme told reporters after her side's 1-0 semi-final win over Germany on Wednesday. "We're going to dive deeper into their game, and we're going all-in." For all their dominance in recent years, Spain are still relative newcomers at the top table in women's soccer, and their only previous visit to the semi-finals at the Euros was in 1997. They followed that up with quarter-final exits in 2013, 2017 and 2022. By contrast, Germany, whom they had never beaten at a major tournament before Wednesday, won the tournament five times since 1997. "It's an incredible joy to be in the final, to have beaten Germany for the first time — a great team. I think we knew how to compete in this match. I'm very happy for the players, the staff, and everything we are building here in Switzerland," Torme said. For long-serving captain Irene Paredes, success at the Euros is another welcome milestone in her side's progress towards being the kind of dominant team the Germans once were. "It's incredible. We're making history," she told reporters. "This is what we wanted. It's been tough, but we're in the final."
