Singapore national football team facts for kids
![]() |
|||
Nickname(s) | The Lions | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Football Association of Singapore (FAS) | ||
Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
Sub-confederation | AFF (Southeast Asia) | ||
Head coach | Gavin Lee (interim) | ||
Captain | Hariss Harun | ||
Most caps | Daniel Bennett (146) | ||
Top scorer | Fandi Ahmad (55) | ||
Home stadium | National Stadium Jalan Besar Stadium |
||
FIFA code | SGP | ||
|
|||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | NR (7 February 2019) | ||
Highest | 73 (August 1993) | ||
Lowest | 173 (October 2017) | ||
Elo ranking | |||
Current | 182 ![]() |
||
Highest | 103 (4 November 2009) | ||
Lowest | 196 (November 2016) | ||
First international | |||
![]() ![]() (Singapore; 22 May 1948) |
|||
Biggest win | |||
![]() ![]() (Kallang, Singapore; 15 January 2007) |
|||
Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 6 November 1969) |
|||
Asian Cup | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 1984) | ||
Best result | Group stage (1984) | ||
ASEAN Championship | |||
Appearances | 14 (first in 1996) | ||
Best result | Champions (1998, 2004, 2007, 2012) |
The Singapore national football team, also known as The Lions, represents Singapore in men's international football. The team is managed by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS). This group is part of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). The team's main colors are red and white.
Singapore's team is one of the oldest national teams in Asia. The FAS is also the oldest football association on the continent. Even though Singapore is a small country, its football teams have often done very well. They have competed strongly against bigger neighbors. Their biggest successes have been in the regional AFF Championship, which they have won four times. They won in 1998, 2004, 2007, and 2012. Singapore was the first team to win the AFF Championship four times. They are also the only team to win every final they have played in this competition.
Contents
History of Singapore Football
Early Days (1892–1994)
The Singapore Amateur Football Association started in 1892. In 1921, the HMS Malaya Cup began. Singapore was one of the first six teams to play and won the first event. The Singapore Lions team, which played in the Malaysia Cup, was very popular. Many fans saw them as the national team. They often won or were runners-up until 1941, when World War II stopped the games.
Singapore won 24 Malaysia Cup titles and two Malaysian League titles. In 1994, the Football Association of Singapore left the Malaysian competitions. This happened after a disagreement about ticket money. Singapore then started its own professional league, the S.League, in 1996. They also began to focus more on their national team's performance in international games. In 1984, Singapore hosted the 1984 AFC Asian Cup, their only international competition so far. They won one game and drew another but did not get past the group stage. In August 1993, Singapore reached its highest FIFA World Rankings spot at 73rd.
Rising Success (1995–2003)
Singapore won a bronze medal at the 1995 Southeast Asian Games. They lost to Thailand in the semi-finals. Singapore hosted the first AFF Championship (then called Tiger Cup) in 1996 but did not get out of the group stage.
In 1998, Singapore's team, led by coach Barry Whitbread, won the 1998 AFF Championship. They beat Malaysia and the Philippines in the group stage. Then, they defeated Indonesia in the semi-finals. In the final, they won against Vietnam 1–0. This was Singapore's first major international football title.
After some tough results, Radojko Avramović became the coach in 2003.
AFF Championship Wins (2004–2012)
Under coach Radojko Avramović, Singapore started the 2004 AFF Championship as underdogs. They drew with Vietnam and Indonesia and won against Cambodia and Laos. This helped them reach the semi-finals. They beat Myanmar in the semi-finals with a total score of 8–5 over two games.
Singapore then played Indonesia in the final. They won the first game 3–1 in Jakarta. They won the second game 2–1 in Singapore, making the total score 5–2. This meant Singapore won the championship!
In 2007, Singapore hosted the group stages of the 2007 AFF Championship. They drew with Vietnam and then had their biggest win ever, beating Laos 11–0. They drew with Indonesia to reach the semi-finals. In the semi-final against Malaysia, Singapore won in a penalty shootout. In the final, they beat Thailand 2–1 at home and drew 1–1 away, winning the trophy again.
In 2012, Singapore won the 2012 AFF Championship for a record fourth time. They beat Malaysia 3–0 in their first game. After losing to Indonesia, they beat Laos 4–3 to win their group. They then beat the Philippines 1–0 in the semi-finals. In the final, they won the first game against Thailand 3–1. Even though they lost the second game 0–1, they won the championship with a total score of 3–2. Radojko Avramović left his coaching role after this victory.
Challenges and Rebuilding (2013–Present)
After Avramović, Bernd Stange became the new head coach in 2013. Singapore had some tough matches in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification. They won against Syria 2–1, which was a good moment. However, they did not qualify for the Asian Cup.
In the 2014 AFF Championship, Singapore was the defending champion but did not get past the group stage. They lost to Thailand and Malaysia. In the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Singapore drew 0–0 with Japan, which was a big surprise. However, they finished third in their group and did not qualify.
In 2016, V. Sundramoorthy became the caretaker coach. Singapore played in the 2016 AFF Championship but finished last in their group. They also had a tough time in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, finishing at the bottom of their group.
In 2019, Tatsuma Yoshida became the new head coach. Singapore started their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification with a 2–2 draw against Yemen and a 2–1 win against Palestine. They later qualified for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifying third round.
Singapore hosted the 2020 AFF Championship (played in 2021 due to the pandemic). They won three group games before losing to Thailand. They reached the semi-finals, where they faced Indonesia. After a 1–1 draw in the first game, the second game was very dramatic. Singapore lost 2–4 in extra time, with three players getting red cards. Goalkeeper Hassan Sunny played amazingly, making many saves. Tatsuma Yoshida left his role after this tournament.
Nazri Nasir was the interim coach for a short time in 2022. Singapore won two friendly matches against Malaysia and the Philippines. Then, Takayuki Nishigaya became the new head coach. Singapore played in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers but did not make it to the main tournament.
In October 2023, Singapore started their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. They beat Guam 2–1 at home and 1–0 away to move to the second round. In March 2024, under new coach Tsutomu Ogura, Singapore drew 2–2 with China at home, coming back from 0–2 down. In the away game, they lost 1–4. On June 6, 2024, Singapore lost 0–7 to South Korea, a tough defeat. Five days later, they lost 1–3 to Thailand, ending their World Cup qualification journey.
On June 24, 2025, Ogura stepped down. Gavin Lee is now the interim head coach.
Team Look
Jerseys and Badges
Singapore's football jerseys have been made by different companies over the years, like Admiral, Puma, Umbro, Grand Sport, and Tiger. Since 2008, Nike has been the official supplier.
The team first wore blue shirts and shorts for home games. But in the late 1980s, they changed to red and white, which are Singapore's national colors. Blue became the color for their away kit. This tradition continued through the 1990s. For the 2007 AFF Championship, the home kit was blue again, and the away kit was white.
Usually, the national flag of Singapore is on the left side of the jersey, and the Nike logo is on the right. In recent years, the FAS logo has also been added to the jerseys, sometimes with the flag. In 2020, the FAS logo was used alone, but fans wanted the Singapore flag back. So, the 2022 jerseys included the flag above the FAS logo.
Kit supplier | Period |
---|---|
![]() |
1954–1973 |
![]() |
1974–1990 |
![]() |
1991–1992 |
![]() |
1993–1997 |
![]() |
1998–2000 |
![]() |
2001–2006 |
![]() |
2007–present |
Home Stadiums
From 1932 until 1973, the Jalan Besar Stadium hosted all of Singapore's home games. After that, the National Stadium became the main home ground.
The National Stadium was rebuilt as part of the new Singapore Sports Hub, which opened in 2014. While it was being rebuilt, the Singapore national team played its home games at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Since 2004, Singapore has played home matches in seven different stadiums across the country.
Singapore national football team home stadiums | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Image | Stadium | Capacity | Location | Last match |
![]() |
National Stadium | 55,000 | Kallang | v ![]() (25 March 2025; 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification) |
Jalan Besar Stadium | 6,000 | Kallang | v ![]() (26 December 2024; 2024 ASEAN Championship) |
|
Bishan Stadium | 6,254 | Bishan | v ![]() (12 September 2023; Friendly) |
|
Choa Chu Kang Stadium | 4,268 | Choa Chu Kang | v ![]() (16 October 2012; Friendly) |
|
![]() |
Jurong West Stadium | 4,600 | Jurong West | v ![]() (19 November 2012; Friendly) |
Jurong East Stadium | 2,700 | Jurong East | v ![]() (6 June 2015; Friendly) |
|
Hougang Stadium | 3,800 | Hougang | v ![]() (9 September 2014; Friendly) |
|
![]() |
Yishun Stadium | 3,400 | Yishun | v ![]() (17 November 2014; Friendly) |
Supporters
The main group of supporters for the national team is called "SingaBrigade". They are known for their strong support for the team. At every international match, they gather in a special area. They usually wear red, the team's color, and bring scarves and banners. These fans also bring drums and large national flags to the stadiums. In 2023, more fans started attending home games. For example, over 29,000 tickets were sold for a World Cup qualification match against Thailand.
Rivalries
Singapore has rivalries with several nearby countries. These include Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, and Myanmar. These rivalries are often strong because the countries are close to each other.
The rivalry with Malaysia is known as the "Causeway Derby". This match used to be a huge event in football for both countries. In the 1980s and early 1990s, people would wait overnight to buy tickets. The rivalry is still very important to fans.
Recent Matches
The Singapore national football team plays many matches each year. These include friendly games and important qualification matches for big tournaments.
2024 Matches
In 2024, Singapore played several matches. They faced South Korea and Thailand in World Cup qualifiers, losing both games. They also played friendly matches against Myanmar and Chinese Taipei. In the 2024 ASEAN Championship, they won against Cambodia and Timor-Leste but lost to Thailand and drew with Malaysia. They then lost both semi-final games against Vietnam.
2025 Matches
In 2025, Singapore played a friendly against Nepal and drew with Hong Kong in an Asian Cup qualifier. They also won a friendly against Maldives and beat Bangladesh 2–1 in an Asian Cup qualifier. More matches are planned for the rest of 2025 and 2026.
Coaching Team
The coaching staff helps the players train and get ready for games.
Coaching History
Many coaches have led the Singapore national team over the years. Some notable coaches include Choo Seng Quee, Barry Whitbread, and Radojko Avramović.
Lim Yong Liang (1936–1941)
Rahim Sattar (1960–1963)
Harith Omar (1963–1965)
Choo Seng Quee (1964–1967, 1971, 1976–1977)
Lozan Korcev (1967–1968)
Yap Boon Chuan (1968–1971)
Mick Walker (1972–1974)
Ibrahim Awang (1974–1975)
Trevor Hartley (1975–1976)
Sebastian Yap (1977–1978)
Jita Singh (1979–1984, 1989)
Hussein Aljunied (1984–1986)
Seak Poh Leong (1987–1988)
Robin Chan (1990–1992)
Milouš Kvaček (1992)
P.N. Sivaji (1992–1993)
Ken Worden (1994)
Douglas Moore (1994–1995)
Barry Whitbread (1995–1998)
Vincent Subramaniam (1998–2000)
Jan B. Poulsen (2000–2003)
Radojko Avramović (2003–2012)
V. Sundramoorthy (2013, 2016–2018)
Bernd Stange (2013–2016)
Fandi Ahmad (2018)
Nazri Nasir (interim) (2019, 2022)
Tatsuma Yoshida (2019–2021)
Takayuki Nishigaya (2022–2024)
Tsutomu Ogura (2024–2025)
Gavin Lee (interim) (2025–present)
Players
Current Team
Here are the players who were recently called up for matches in June 2025.
Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of June 10, 2025, after the match against Bangladesh.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GK | Izwan Mahbud | 14 July 1990 | 65 | 0 | ![]() |
12 | GK | Syazwan Buhari | 22 September 1992 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
23 | GK | Rudy Khairullah | 19 July 1994 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
|
||||||
2 | DF | Irfan Najeeb | 31 July 1999 | 13 | 1 | ![]() |
3 | DF | Ryhan Stewart | 15 February 2000 | 26 | 0 | ![]() |
5 | DF | Amirul Adli | 13 January 1996 | 36 | 1 | ![]() |
15 | DF | Lionel Tan | 5 June 1997 | 23 | 3 | ![]() |
17 | DF | Jordan Emaviwe | 9 April 2001 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
21 | DF | Safuwan Baharudin | 22 September 1991 | 124 | 13 | ![]() |
22 | DF | Christopher van Huizen | 28 November 1992 | 28 | 1 | ![]() |
|
||||||
6 | MF | Kyoga Nakamura | 25 April 1996 | 11 | 2 | ![]() |
7 | MF | Song Ui-young | 8 November 1993 | 27 | 5 | ![]() |
8 | DF | Shah Shahiran | 14 November 1999 | 34 | 1 | ![]() |
11 | MF | Farhan Zulkifli | 10 November 2002 | 6 | 1 | ![]() |
14 | MF | Hariss Harun (captain) | 19 November 1990 | 142 | 11 | ![]() |
16 | MF | Hami Syahin | 16 December 1998 | 34 | 0 | ![]() |
18 | MF | Harhys Stewart | 20 March 2001 | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
|
||||||
9 | FW | Ikhsan Fandi | 9 April 1999 | 40 | 21 | ![]() |
10 | FW | Faris Ramli | 24 August 1992 | 92 | 15 | ![]() |
11 | FW | Glenn Kweh | 26 March 2000 | 22 | 0 | ![]() |
13 | FW | Taufik Suparno | 31 October 1995 | 14 | 0 | ![]() |
19 | FW | Ilhan Fandi | 8 November 2002 | 17 | 2 | ![]() |
20 | FW | Amir Syafiz | 21 June 2004 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
Player Records
- Players in bold are still active with Singapore.
Most Games Played

These players have played the most games for Singapore.
Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Daniel Bennett | 142 | 7 | 2002–2017 |
Hariss Harun | 142 | 11 | 2007–present | |
3 | Baihakki Khaizan | 140 | 5 | 2003–2021 |
4 | Shahril Ishak | 138 | 15 | 2003–2018 |
5 | Khairul Amri | 135 | 32 | 2004–2019 |
6 | Safuwan Baharudin | 124 | 14 | 2010–present |
7 | Malek Awab | 121 | 0 | 1980–1996 |
Aide Iskandar | 0 | 1995–2007 | ||
8 | Shunmugham Subramani | 115 | 0 | 1996–2007 |
Hassan Sunny | 115 | 0 | 2004–2024 |
Top Goalscorers
These players have scored the most goals for Singapore.
Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fandi Ahmad | 55 | 101 | 0.54 | 1979–1997 |
2 | Noh Alam Shah | 34 | 82 | 0.41 | 2001–2010 |
3 | Khairul Amri | 32 | 135 | 0.24 | 2004–2019 |
4 | Indra Sahdan Daud | 30 | 113 | 0.27 | 1997–2013 |
5 | Aleksandar Đurić | 27 | 59 | 0.46 | 2007–2012 |
6 | Ikhsan Fandi | 21 | 40 | 0.53 | 2017–present |
7 | Varadaraju Sundramoorthy | 20 | 48 | 0.42 | 1983–1995 |
8 | Shawal Anuar | 17 | 44 | 0.39 | 2016–present |
9 | Rafi Ali | 16 | 76 | 0.22 | 1994–2004 |
10 | Agu Casmir | 15 | 45 | 0.33 | 2004–2012 |
Faris Ramli | 92 | 0.16 | 2013–present | ||
Shahril Ishak | 144 | 0.1 | 2003–2018 |
Player Facts
- Youngest player to play a game: Hariss Harun (16 years, 7 months, 5 days) against North Korea on June 24, 2007.
- Oldest player to play a game: Aleksandar Đurić (42 years, 4 months, 10 days) against Thailand on December 22, 2012.
- Youngest player to score a goal: Jacob Mahler (18 years, 6 months, 6 days) against Cambodia on October 16, 2018.
- Oldest player to score a goal: Aleksandar Đurić (42 years, 3 months, 13 days) against Malaysia on November 25, 2012.
- Most goals in one game: Noh Alam Shah scored 7 goals against Laos on January 15, 2007.
Tournament Records
FIFA World Cup
Singapore has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup many times but has not yet made it to the main tournament.
FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
![]() |
Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||
![]() |
Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||
![]() |
Did not qualify | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | ||||||||||
![]() |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||||
![]() |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | |||||||||||
![]() |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 9 | |||||||||||
![]() |
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 12 | |||||||||||
![]() |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | |||||||||||
![]() ![]() |
6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | |||||||||||
![]() |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 13 | |||||||||||
![]() |
10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 17 | |||||||||||
![]() |
8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 24 | |||||||||||
![]() |
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||||
![]() |
8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 22 | |||||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() |
8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 25 | |||||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() |
To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||
Total | 0/19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | — | 84 | 23 | 12 | 49 | 89 | 168 |
AFC Asian Cup
Singapore has qualified for the AFC Asian Cup once, in 1984, as the host nation.
AFC Asian Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
![]() |
Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
![]() |
Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | ||||||||||
![]() |
Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
![]() |
Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | ||||||||||
![]() |
Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
![]() |
Did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | ||||||||||
![]() |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | |||||||||||
![]() |
Group stage | 7th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | |||||||
![]() |
Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
![]() |
Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||
![]() |
6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 7 | |||||||||||
![]() |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||
![]() |
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 11 | |||||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | |||||||||||
![]() |
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 15 | |||||||||||
![]() |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 17 | |||||||||||
![]() |
14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 18 | |||||||||||
![]() |
11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 27 | |||||||||||
![]() |
Qualification in progress | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 25 | ||||||||||
Total | Group stage | 1/18 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | 82 | 21 | 12 | 49 | 89 | 166 |
ASEAN Championship
Singapore has won the ASEAN Championship four times, making them one of the most successful teams in the region.
Asian Games
Singapore has also competed in the Asian Games. Their best result was fourth place in 1966.
Southeast Asian Games
Singapore has won several medals at the Southeast Asian Games.
Honours
Singapore has won several titles and medals in football tournaments.
Regional Titles
- ASEAN Championship
- Southeast Asian Games
Friendly Tournament Wins
- Tri-Nation Series (1): 2022
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Singapur para niños
- Singapore national under-23 football team
- Singapore national youth football team
- Young Lions
- Singapore women's national football team