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Singapore national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Singapore women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Singapore
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) The Lions
Association Football Association of Singapore (FAS)
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach Tsutomu Ogura
Captain Hariss Harun
Most caps Daniel Bennett (146)
Top scorer Fandi Ahmad (55)
Home stadium National Stadium
Jalan Besar Stadium
FIFA code SGP
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current NR (7 February 2019)
Highest 73 (August 1993)
Lowest 173 (October 2017)
Elo ranking
Current 182 Increase 2 (3 March 2019)
Highest 103 (4 November 2009)
Lowest 196 (November 2016)
First international
 Singapore 1–0 Republic of China 
(Singapore; 22 May 1948)
Biggest win
 Singapore 11–0 Laos 
(Kallang, Singapore; 15 January 2007)
Biggest defeat
 Burma 9–0 Singapore 
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 9 November 1969)
Asian Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 1984)
Best result Group stage (1984)
AFF Championship
Appearances 14 (first in 1996)
Best result Champions (1998, 2004, 2007, 2012)

The Singapore national football team (Malay: Pasukan bola sepak kebangsaan Singapura, Chinese: 新加坡国家足球队, Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் தேசிய கால்பந்து அணி) represents Singapore in the senior men's international football. It is organised by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), the governing body of football in Singapore, which is affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). The team's colours are red and white. Singapore are colloquially known as "The Lions".

Singapore has one of the oldest national teams in Asia, with the FAS being the oldest football association in the continent itself. Despite the country having a relatively small population pool, it has generally punched above its weight by successively producing squads that has fiercely competed with its larger and much more populated neighbours.

This can be seen in its most significant successes, which have come in the regional AFF Championship, whereby Singapore had won four times in 1998, 2004, 2007, and 2012. Singapore was the first team to achieve this feat and the only team to win in all the finals that they had played. In 1998, Singapore defeated Vietnam in the final to capture the country's first major international football title. In the 2004–05 competition, Singapore defeated Indonesia in a two-leg final 5–2 on aggregate. Singapore retained the trophy in 2007, beating Thailand 3–2 on aggregate in the final. In 2012, Singapore won the trophy a record 4th time, again defeating three-time champions Thailand 3–2 on aggregate in the final.

Singapore has also achieved notable results beyond its sub-confederation. In the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Singapore became the only team to beat Iraq where Iraq was en route to their Asian Cup-winning campaign. Singapore also drew with China 0–0, 1–1, and 2–2 at home in 2006, 2009 and 2024 respectively. In March 2008, Australia also failed to beat Singapore when the game ended in a goalless draw. During the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Japan was held to a draw at home at the Saitama Stadium by Singapore, being the only game where they had dropped points in the group.

History

Early history (1892–1994)

Main article: Football Association of Singapore

In 1892, the Singapore Amateur Football Association applied to become a registered society. The HMS Malaya Cup (which was later known as the Malaysia Cup) was launched in 1921 by officers of a British battleship in Malaya, and Singapore was one of the six teams that took part in the inaugural year, and won the event. While the representative side in the Malaysia Cup and the Malaysian League was not the national team per se – this team included some foreign players as it is more of a club side – many Singapore football fans viewed the Singapore Lions club side as being almost synonymous to the national team as well. They either won or were runners up in the event every year until 1941, after which it was suspended because of World War II.

Overall, Singapore won 24 Malaysia Cup titles and two Malaysian League titles. After winning the Malaysia Cup and league double in 1994, the Football Association of Singapore withdrew from the Malaysian competitions following a dispute with the Football Association of Malaysia over gate receipts. Singapore subsequently launched its own professional league, the S.League, in 1996, and also began to put much more focus on the performance of its national team in international competitions.

At that time, Singapore hosted their first and so far, its only international competition, the 1984 AFC Asian Cup. The team was eliminated from the group stage with four points, a 2–0 win over India and a 1–1 draw to giant Iran. In the FIFA World Rankings, Singapore's highest standing was in the first release of the figures, in August 1993, at 73rd.

Rise of Singapore football (1995–2003)

Singapore won the bronze medal in the 1995 Southeast Asian Games, after losing 0–1 in the semi-finals to the hosts and eventual gold medalists, Thailand. Singapore hosted the inaugural AFF Championship (then known as Tiger Cup) in 1996 but were eliminated in the group stages.

The national team again reached the semi-finals of the Southeast Asian Games in 1997, losing to Indonesia, and lost to Vietnam 0–1 in the third-place match.

However, in the 1998 edition of the AFF Championship, Singapore's team led by coach Barry Whitbread won the group stage with victories over Malaysia and the Philippines. In the semi-finals, they beat Indonesia and subsequently edged out hosts Vietnam 1–0 in the final. This was the country's first ever international title.

Jan B. Poulsen, who was part of Denmark's backroom staff at the 1998 World Cup, was appointed the Technical Director of the Football Association of Singapore in 1999. Due to poor results by Singapore in the 2000 AFF Championship, coach Vincent Subramaniam was sacked and Poulsen took over as coach in December 2000. Singapore hosted the 2002 AFF Championship, but lost 0–4 to arch-rivals Malaysia in their first game. Before the game, local newspaper The New Paper was encouraging fans to turn up in numbers. After the game, the Lions attributed their heavy defeat to the unexpected large crowd. Singapore went on to win 2–1 over Laos, but a 1–1 draw in the final group game against Thailand was not enough for them to reach the knock-out stages. Poulsen was sacked after the tournament.

AFF Championship triumph (2004–2012)

Raddysingapore
Radojko Avramović, nicknamed 'Raddy' by Singaporeans, is Singapore's most decorated and longest serving coach from 2003 to 2012, winning the AFF Championship three times.

Radojko Avramović took over as coach of the flailing and deflated Singapore national football team in July 2003. Singapore started the 2004 AFF Championship as underdogs but a 1–1 draw in their first game against hosts Vietnam, another draw against Indonesia, and wins against Cambodia and Laos saw them qualify for the semi-finals.

Singapore were drawn against Myanmar in the two-legged semi-finals. Singapore took a 4–3 away lead back home for the second leg. In the ill-tempered second leg, three Myanmar players were sent off and a reserve Myanmar goalkeeper even threw a water bottle at defender S. Subramani. Singapore went on to win 4–2 after extra time for an 8–5 aggregate victory.

Singapore then won the first leg of the two-legged final against Indonesia 3–1 in Jakarta, before winning 2–1 (5–2 on aggregate) in the second leg in front of a strong 55,000 home crowd at the former National Stadium.

SingaporeNationalFootballTeamvsLebanon
Singapore 2-0 Lebanon on 26 March 2008 at the Old Kallang National Stadium.

In 2006, Avramović then led Singapore into the 2007 Asian Cup qualifiers with a 2–0 victory at home over Iraq, but Singapore failed to build on this victory and then lost away to Palestine. The Singapore team then took on China away in Tianjin and lost to an injury time penalty. China travelled to Singapore for the second meeting and the Singapore defence held out for a 0–0 draw. A subsequent 2–4 loss to Iraq dashed Singapore's hopes of qualifying for the Asian Cup. The Asian Cup qualifying campaign ended with a default 3–0 victory over Palestine, who were unable to fulfil the fixture.

Singapore hosted the group stages of the 2007 AFF Championship. After a 0–0 draw with Vietnam, Singapore then thrashed Laos 11–0 to record their largest-ever win. In the final group match, Singapore knocked Indonesia out of the tournament in a 2–2 draw. Singapore met Malaysia in the semi-final. The first leg saw a 1–1 draw in Shah Alam, while in the second leg at Singapore's National Stadium, following another 1–1 draw, Singapore beat Malaysia in a penalty shoot-out 5–4, goalkeeper Lionel Lewis saving the final Malaysian spot kick from Mohd Khyril Muhymeen Zambri. In the final against Thailand, Singapore won a controversial first leg at home 2–1, then secured a 1–1 draw in Bangkok thanks to a late strike from Khairul Amri to retain the AFF Championship trophy. In the 2008 AFF Championship co-hosted by Indonesia and Thailand, Singapore was drawn in Group A to against Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia. Singapore progressed from the group as winners. However, they lost out to eventual winners Vietnam 0–1 on aggregate.

Singapore met Palestine in the first round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian qualification. Singapore won the first leg 4–0 away in Doha, and the Palestinians again failed to fulfil the away fixture, so FIFA awarded Singapore a 3–0 win. Singapore was drawn with Tajikistan in the second round: Singapore won the home match 2–0 and drew the return leg 1–1 on 18 November to progress to the third round of the Asian Qualifying Tournament for the first time, where they were drawn against Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Uzbekistan. Singapore's group stage campaign began with a loss to Saudi Arabia, but the Lions then beat Lebanon 2–0 at home. Successive losses to Uzbekistan, 3–7 and 0–1, left Singapore with little chance of getting into the next round. Singapore were finally eliminated when they lost 0–2 to the Saudis at home. FIFA later awarded Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan both a 3–0 win, where they won 2–0 and 1–0 respectively, due to Singapore fielding Qiu Li, who is not eligible to represent Singapore. Singapore finished third in the group with six points from six games after defeating Lebanon 2–1 in Beirut in their final game. With the elimination, Goal 2010 was ended.

THA-SIN 2012-12-22
Singapore 2012 AFF Championship winning squad that won them their fourth trophy at the Supachalasai Stadium in Thailand.

For the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Singapore was drawn in Group E, together with Iran, Thailand and Jordan. Singapore were beaten 0–6 by Iran in the first match, and then defeated Jordan 2–1. In November 2009, Singapore hosted Thailand at the National Stadium and lost 3–1, but won the return fixture 1–0 a few days later, earning Singapore their first victory on Thai soil in 48 years. Singapore next hosted Iran, losing 1–3, and the 1–2 defeat against Jordan which followed ended their hopes of Asian Cup football in 2011. The players reported some teammates were smoking during halftime in the match against Jordan. In 2010, Singapore drew with the Philippines 1–1, defeated Myanmar 2–1, then duly lost to Vietnam 0–1 in the knockout stage decider. As a result, the Singapore national football team was knocked out of the group stage in Hanoi. The Lions were criticised for their dismal performances in the AFF Championship, which they won in 1998, 2004, and 2007. In January 2011, the FAS decided to disband and revamp the national team. Six months later, The Lions were back in action after the dismal performances in 2010.

In May 2011, national team coach Avramović announced the new 33-strong national provisional squad for the upcoming international friendlies and 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. The Lions were scheduled to play international friendlies against Maldives on 7 June 2011 and Laos on 18 July 2011. Few days after releasing the provisional 33-man squad, national team training started in preparation of the match against Maldives. Avramović led the new-look Lions in a game where Singapore won Maldives 4–0 at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore in a friendly match. (Note. The match was not an 'A' international because unlimited substitutions were allowed.) After the 4–0 win against Maldives, less than a week later before the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier, a final friendly was played against Chinese Taipei. Singapore won the match 3–2 with goals from Aleksandar Đurić, Shi Jiayi and Fazrul Nawaz. In preparation for the third round of the World Cup Qualifiers, the Lions played a friendly non-'A' match against Thailand before their opening qualifier against China. The friendly finished 0–0.

Singapore received a bye to the second round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification in 2011 because of their accession to the third round of the qualifying in the previous World Cup. Their second round opponents were regional rivals Malaysia, whom they beat 5–3 in the first leg with goals from Aleksandar Đurić, Qiu Li, Mustafic Fahrudin and Shi Jiayi. The second leg was held at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil on 28 July 2011. A 1–1 draw thanks to a key Shi Jiayi goal in the second half was enough to put Singapore through to the 3rd Round of Asian Zone World Cup 2014 Qualifying. In the preliminary draw in Brazil on 30 July 2011 by the football governing body FIFA, Singapore was drawn into Group A for their Round 3 of the Asian qualifiers with Jordan, Iraq and China. Singapore kicked off the third round with a 1–2 loss to China in Kunming. They then succumbed to a second defeat, 0–2, against Iraq. The next match was slated to be held at Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore on 11 October against Jordan which Singapore lost 0–3. A 0–2 defeat to Jordan in Amman killed off the Lions' chances of progress. Singapore ended the year with a 0–4 defeat at home to China PR, their 5th consecutive loss. Iraq then dealt the Singapore team a heavy 1–7 loss in Doha, Qatar, with Singapore bowing out with no wins.

In the 2012 AFF Championship, Singapore started their tournament with a 3–0 win over close rivals Malaysia. They then lost 0–1 to Indonesia before winning 4–3 in the knockout stage decider against Laos. to top the group and qualify for the semi-finals which sees them face against the Philippines in the semi-finals, Singapore won 1–0 on aggregate with a solitary goal from Khairul Amri during the home leg of the semi-finals was enough to set up a meeting with Thailand in the finals. The Lions won the first leg of the finals 3–1 in Singapore. Despite losing the away leg 0–1, Singapore was able to pick up the 2012 AFF Championship, their fourth championship. Singapore holds the record for the highest number of AFF Championship titles at that point of time. Radojko Avramović ended his tenure as Singapore coach after the tournament.

Falling performances and drought (2013–2018)

FAS then hired the former legendary Singapore footballer, V. Sundramoorthy as head coach in 2013 ahead of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Singapore was drawn in Group A, together with Jordan, Syria and Oman. Singapore were beaten 0–4 by Jordan in the first match, and then loss to Jordan with a scoreline of 0–2. In October 2013, Singapore hosted Syria at the Jalan Besar Stadium and with their first win of the campaign with a 2–1 victory thanks to Gabriel Quak's late winner which was also his first international goal. But a month later, Syria won Singapore in the return fixture 0–4. Singapore next hosted Jordan, losing 1–3, and the 1–3 defeat against Oman which followed ended their hopes of Asian Cup football in 2015.

The FAS announced on 15 May 2013 that they had appointed German Bernd Stange as the new head coach of the national team. On 27 May 2013, Stange announced his choice of 23 players for the friendlies against Myanmar and Laos on 4 June 2013 and 7 June 2013 respectively. The squad featured several new players who were called up to the national squad for the first time, including 17-year-old Adam Swandi. LionsXII midfielders Gabriel Quak and Faris Ramli and Tanjong Pagar United's winger Hafiz Nor also received their first national call-ups. Veteran forward Indra Sahdan was also recalled to the national team. He took the captain's armband on 4 June 2013 for coach Stange's first game against Myanmar which Singapore won 2–0. He also scored the first goal in the second friendly match against Laos, which saw Singapore with a 5–2 victory. Following the two wins, Singapore's FIFA World Rankings rose nine places to 156 in July 2013. On 15 October 2013, Stange registered his first international competition win in a 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against Syria with Gabriel Quak scoring a late goal to win the match 2–1 at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Stange had been trying to inculcate the one-touch, quick-tempo style of play for into the Singapore team, and gear the team up for the 2014 AFF Championship and try to retain the AFF Championship. Singapore entered the 2014 AFF Championship as the defending champions trying to defend the cup on home soil, but their title defence was spoiled with a 1–2 defeat over Thailand, which they also faced back in 2012. Then, they beat Myanmar 4–2 before bowing out after suffering a 1–3 defeat to rivals Malaysia. The Lions finished with 3 points and 3rd in Group B, and are the first team in the history of the AFF Championship to bow out from the group stage as the defending champions.

Singapore then started their campaign with an away game against Cambodia on 11 June 2015 which ended 4–0 in favour of Singapore. Following which, they travelled to Saitama Stadium in Japan where they held the hosts to a goalless draw. However, they were defeated by Syria 0–1, at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat, Oman, marking their first loss in the group stages of the tournament. The Lions then beat Afghanistan by a scoreline of 1–0 and their 2nd consecutive win against Cambodia, winning the game 2–1. However, the winning streak ended when they faced Japan at home, and were defeated 0–3. They then went on to face Syria, which was a tight game. Khribin of Syria scored on the 20th minute and were 0-1 up. Safuwan of Singapore scored a late equaliser on the 89th minute but Singapore could not hold on to the draw which ended Khribin again scoring on the 3rd minute of added time after the 90th minute, this resulted in a 1–2 loss to Singapore. Singapore played their final game against Afghanistan and were defeated 1–2. Singapore finished in third place in the table with a total points of 10.

In April 2016, a month after the match against Afghanistan, the FAS announced that Bernd Stange contract would not be renewed and he left the Singapore national football team. After a few months of Stange's departure, FAS announced the new caretaker coach was to be then Tampines Rovers head coach V. Sundramoorthy. Sundram's first major tournament was the 2016 AYA Bank Cup in June where the team won host Myanmar and went on to the finals against Vietnam. In that match, the two teams drew after 90 mins and went on to extra time where Singapore conceded 3 goals to clinch second. After a few months, Sundram and FAS arranged the long-awaited Causeway Challenge against Singapore's rival, Malaysia. In that match, Singapore created a lot of chances and dominated the game but was unfortunate to end the game with a 0–0 draw.

In 2016, Sundram also called up a few uncapped players like Syazwan Buhari, Khairulhin Khalid, Irfan Fandi, Abdil Qaiyyim, Shawal Anuar, Azhar Sairudin and Amy Recha. Many of which has at least one cap to their name. Although Hami Syahin was not called up for any matches, he was registered in the 40 man provisional squad for the 2016 AFF Championship. Sundram also recalled several players like Daniel Bennett, Mustafic Fahrudin, Zulfadli Zainal and Hafiz Nor. Ridhuan Muhammad was not recalled for any matches but was registered in the 40-man provisional squad for the 2016 AFF Championship. Sundram also gave chances to the two players, Shahfiq Ghani and Shahdan Sulaiman who both just recovered from long-term injuries to prove themselves. For the 2016 AFF Championship, Singapore was grouped with ASEAN giants, Thailand together with Indonesia and Philippines and was grouped in the "Group of Death" as the teams in this group were tough. Singapore then started their tournament with a 0–0 draw over Philippines. They then lost 0–1 to Thailand where Thailand's Sarawut Masuk scored a late winner in the 89th minute. Singapore actually needed at least a draw with Indonesia and Thailand have to beat Philippines to qualify for the semi-finals. It was great news in the first half as Singapore was leading 1–0 but Singapore's defence went to sleep and conceded 2 late goals for Indonesia to qualify for the semi-finals. Singapore ended their 2016 AFF Championship at the bottom of the table.

Singapore started their 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification – third round campaign against Bahrain on 28 March 2017. Singapore drew with Bahrain with a score-line of 0–0. In Singapore's next game, they went on to play against Chinese Taipei where they lost 1–2 at home with Singapore's vice-captain Hariss Harun scoring and Xavier Chen and Chen Chao-an scoring for the visitors. Singapore's head coach V. Sundramoorthy introduced a National Team Day where Mondays are for players who are called up for a short meeting and tactical training session in the pitch. In this call up, Sundram recalled players like Raihan Rahman. Sundram also called up the uncapped Ho Wai Loon tas a standby player for matches against Afghanistan and Bahrain. Sundram also called up uncapped Muhaimin Suhaimi for the friendly against Myanmar, the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Chinese Taipei and the friendly against Argentina. They made history for not winning any match in a year, reaching the lowest FIFA ranking ever of 173rd placing. Singapore finished bottom of the group with 2 points, losing the final match 1–0 to secure home-and-away losses against Chinese Taipei on 26 March 2018.

Rebuilding (2019–present)

On 30 May 2019, former Jurong FC player, Tatsuma Yoshida was unveiled as the head coach of the national team. Yoshida's first game in charge for the national team began with a 4–3 victory against the Solomon Islands at the National Stadium. Singapore started off their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign at the Jalan Besar Stadium drawing 2–2 to Yemen and winning Palestine 2–1 on 5 September 2019 and 10 September 2019 respectively. The national team than travelled to Riyadh to face Saudi Arabia at the King Saud University Stadium. Singapore managed to grip on to their defence and prevented Saudi Arabia from scoring until Salem Al-Dawsari breaks the dreadlock in the 83' minute into the match and to make thing worst, they conceded 2 more with goals coming from Fahad Al-Muwallad and Saleh Al-Shehri to punished Singapore with their poor communications and defensive errors. The Lions then finished in fourth place just above Yemen but see them qualified through to the 2023 Asian Cup qualifying third round.

Yoshida then extended his contract in early 2021 to focus on the 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup which the tournament was postponed and rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore later was chosen for host this tournament in a centralized venue. Singapore started off their group stage campaign with a winning streak by beating Myanmar 3–0, Philippines 1–2 and Timor-Leste 2–0 before losing to eventual cup winners, Thailand 2–0 in the last group stage fixtures. With 3 wins means Singapore qualified to the 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup semi-finals as runners-up which see them face Indonesia. On 21 December 2021 in the first leg, Singapore and Indonesia contested in a 1–1 draw. On the reverse fixtures on 25 December 2021, Singapore was in a 2–1 lead after a freekick goal from Shahdan Sulaiman but all hope seems lost where Pratama Arhan ties the deficit for Indonesia which see the match going into extra time. With 2 players being red carded and a controversial that spark off where Indonesia captain, Asnawi Mangkualam was seen mocking Faris Ramli for his penalty missed incident, Singapore are forced to go through to extra time with 9 players but its get even worse when Hassan Sunny who have been brilliant the entire match making countless numbers of saves ended up picking up a red card for a last man challenge on Irfan Jaya which then see Singapore having three red card in one match being the first and only country in the AFF Championship tournament history to do so. Ikhsan Fandi was then forced to play as the goalkeeper in the dying minutes in the game as all of the substitution is being used up. As the whistle blows for a 4–2 win (5–3 on aggregate) for Indonesia, Oman referee, Qasim Al-Hatmi was being hurled with vulgarities and angry reaction from the Singaporean fans in which he received a death threat and fans flocking to the hotel lobby the referee is staying at after the game to find a reason for the referee awful officiating in which he seem as a favoritism to Indonesia and decision making controversy that caused Singapore the contentious red cards, penalty and offside goal being disallowed. Hassan Sunny received praised from both Singaporean and Indonesian fans for his heroic World class performances that keep Singapore in the match. Both Singaporean and Indonesian fans even respected one another nation for giving out a good solid fight. On 28 December 2021, Yoshida ended his stint as a head coach by mutual agreement citing family reasons after the Singapore team reached the semi-finals.

Nazri Nasri was the interim coach which see Singapore participating in the 2022 FAS Tri-Nations Series consist of Malaysia and Philippines at the National Stadium. In his first charge on 26 March 2022, Ikhsan Fandi scored two goals which see Singapore winning their rivals, Malaysia 2–1 and three days later, a 2–0 victory against Philippines. On 25 April 2022, FAS announced the appointment of Takayuki Nishigaya as the new head coach of Singapore. Nishigaya took charge of his first game playing in a friendly match against Kuwait in a 2–0 lost at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Singapore started off their 2023 Asian Cup qualifying third round playing in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan losing to Kyrgyzstan 2–1 after Song Ui-young scoring the first goal for Singapore but giving away the penalty minutes later, Singapore then went on to narrowly losing to Tajikistan 0–1 and winning their last group fixtures against Myanmar 2–6 but their Asian Cup dreams ended shortly.

On 25 April 2022, FAS announced the appointment of Takayuki Nishigaya as the new head coach of Singapore. Nishigaya took charge of his first game playing in a friendly match against Kuwait in a 2–0 lost at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Singapore started off their 2023 Asian Cup qualifying third round playing in Bishkek losing to Kyrgyzstan 2–1 after Song Ui-young scoring the first goal for Singapore but giving away the penalty minutes later, Singapore then went on to narrowly losing to Tajikistan 0–1 and winning their last group fixtures against Myanmar 2–6 but their Asian Cup dreams ended shortly. In October 2023, Singapore started off their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification in the first round against Guam where on 13 October, the first leg took place at the National Stadium, saw a total number of 10,355 spectators in attendance as Singapore gain the upper hand with a 2–1 victory with goals from Christopher van Huizen and Jacob Mahler, however the fans wasn't too satisfied with the performances as Singapore accumulated 20+ shots and 15 corners missing a lot of scoring opportunities sorely lacking the composure in front of goal with the advantages of playing at home which that the scoreline could have ended up in a big margin. The team then travelled to Dededo facing Guam in the second leg on 17 October at the GFA National Training Center where Shawal Anuar scored the only goal in the match securing the win. Singapore then advance to the second round being grouped with two Asian powerhouse, South Korea and China and Southeast Asia rivals, Thailand. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match on 21 March 2024, Singapore play homed to China where they were losing 2–0 with Wu Lei scoring both goals before Faris Ramli and Jacob Mahler secured the comeback to upset the visitor to a 2–2 draw.

Team image

Kits

There have been different suppliers for the jerseys, from Admiral, Puma, Umbro, Grand Sport to Tiger. Since 2008, Nike has been the supplier for the national team.

Singapore had initially worn blue shirts and shorts as their home kit. However, in the late 1980s, The Lions adopted the national colours of red and white for their home kit while they kept blue as the colour for the away kit. This tradition stayed on through the 1990s. For the 2007 AFF Championship, the national team's colours reverted to blue as its home kit and white as the other kit.

Before 2006, Singapore had been using the same kit for nearly 5 years, supplied by Tiger who had a tie-in with Diadora. The kit used during the 2007 AFF Championship made its final appearance on 4 February 2007 against Thailand. The next kit was first used on 24 June 2007 against DPR Korea. The jersey has white trims at the edge of the sleeves and around the neck. Unlike most national teams which use the country's footballing association as a logo on the kit, the national flag of Singapore takes up the spot on the left chest instead while a white Nike logo is on the right chest and this symmetry also applies to the away jersey. The numbering and lettering font and colour is the same as the previous two home jerseys.

In 2008, tight-fit jerseys were revealed in the two traditional team colours: red for the home games and blue for the away matches. The kit was worn for the first time by the national team in the international friendly against Australia in preparation for the World Cup 2010 qualifier home game against Lebanon on 26 March 2008.

In November 2010, Nike launched a new football kit for Singapore, specially made for the 2010 AFF Championship. The home kit's design was of half dark red and light red. The away kit features half navy blue and light blue that was once worn by Singapore football team in 1970's era. In recent years, the national team kits would often also include the FAS logo, either exclusively or along with the Singapore flag.

The 2022 to 2024 jerseys were worn for the first time during the team's friendly against Maldives on 17 December 2022, which they won 3–1. This is also the team's jersey for the 2022 AFF Championship.

Home stadium

From 1932 until the National Stadium was opened in 1973, Jalan Besar Stadium hosted all home games of Singapore's representative sides which participated in the Malaysia Cup. Since then, all of Singapore's home games in the Malaysia Cup and the national team home matches were played at the National Stadium.

However, the National Stadium was slated for demolishment in 2010 to make way for the new Singapore Sports Hub which was completed in 2014. Singapore played Australia in what was planned to be the last game ever to be played at that stadium. However, due to some delays caused by the addition of new plans for the Singapore Sports Hub, the National Stadium continued to host 5 more matches, and it was also the venue for 2 more World Cup 2010 qualifier matches. While the stadium was being rebuilt as part of the new Sports Hub, the Singapore national team played its home games at the Jalan Besar Stadium, sharing it with the LionsXII and the Cubs (U15 and U16 teams).

Since the start of 2004, Singapore has played its home matches in 7 different stadiums all over Singapore.

Singapore national football team home stadiums
Image Stadium Capacity Location Last match
Singapore (SG), National Stadium -- 2019 -- 4721.jpg National Stadium 55,000 Kallang v   China
(21 March 2024; 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC))
Jalan Besar Stadium.JPG Jalan Besar Stadium 6,000 Kallang v   Vietnam
(30 December 2022; 2022 AFF Championship)
Bishan Stadium and Sports Hall.JPG Bishan Stadium 6,254 Bishan v   Chinese Taipei
(12 September 2023; Friendly)
Choa Chu Kang Stadium 4,268 Choa Chu Kang v   India
(16 October 2012; Friendly)
Jurong West Stadium Night 030419.jpg Jurong West Stadium 4,600 Jurong West v   Pakistan
(19 November 2012; Friendly)
Jurong East Stadium.JPG Jurong East Stadium 2,700 Jurong East v   Brunei
(6 June 2015; Friendly)
Hougang Stadium 3,800 Hougang v   Hong Kong
(9 September 2014; Friendly)
Yishun Stadium, Bikerally Singapore, 2009.jpg Yishun Stadium 3,400 Yishun v   Cambodia
(17 November 2014; Friendly)

Supporters

"SingaBrigade" is the name of the major supporters for the national team in Singapore which consists of a die-hard Singapore football fan group. They are known for their high fanaticism and support towards the national team. In every international match the national team played, they are found in a group standing at the supporters area. The main colours for these supporter are usually in red with a scarf and banners just like the national team kits colours. These supporters always bring drums and large national flags to the stadiums. Since 2023, the numbers of home attendance rise up where it sold 29,644 tickets during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) match against Thailand in November.

Rivalries

Singapore has rivalries with Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines and Myanmar. Their rivalries are rooted geographicial proximity.

Opponent GP W D L GF GA GD Win %
 Thailand &&&&&&&&&&&&&067.&&&&&067 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038 &&&&&&&&&&&&&067.&&&&&067 &&&&&&&&&&&&0114.&&&&&0114 −47 &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.42000016.42
 Indonesia &&&&&&&&&&&&&060.&&&&&060 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013 &&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029 &&&&&&&&&&&&&076.&&&&&076 &&&&&&&&&&&&0114.&&&&&0114 −38 &&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030.00
 Vietnam &&&&&&&&&&&&&034.&&&&&034 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037 &&&&&&&&&&&&&058.&&&&&058 −21 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.71000014.71
 Malaysia &&&&&&&&&&&&&080.&&&&&080 &&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026 &&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032 &&&&&&&&&&&&&097.&&&&&097 &&&&&&&&&&&&0121.&&&&&0121 −24 &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.50000032.50
 Myanmar &&&&&&&&&&&&&039.&&&&&039 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&074.&&&&&074 &&&&&&&&&&&&&068.&&&&&068 +6 &&&&&&&&&&&&&046.15000046.15
 Philippines &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025 &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&055.&&&&&055 &&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015 +40 &&&&&&&&&&&&&064.&&&&&064.00

Singapore has rivalries with Malaysia known as the "Causeway Derby" or mononymously "Lions against Tigers". The Singapore-Malaysia derby used to be the highlight of the football calendar on both sides of the Causeway. When football fever for these two national teams was at its peak in the 1980s and early 1990s, queueing overnight for tickets was not uncommon where the rivalry lays dormant for a number of years. A group of Malaysian Ultras burnt signs of Singapore currency, and booed when Singapore's national anthem was played in the second leg at the Shah Alam Stadium in 2012. The spiteful nature of the discussions, peppered with obscenities and racist remarks, prompted concern in the football fraternities of both countries. After Singapore advanced to the third round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, at the expense of Malaysia, beating them 6-4 on aggregate, an online war broke out among its supporters. Malaysian fans, incensed by what they felt was the Lions' time-wasting tactics during the second leg of the second-round qualifier in Kuala Lumpur, created a Facebook page mocking the Singapore national side. The spiteful nature of the discussions, peppered with obscenities and racist remarks, prompted concern in the football fraternities of both countries. Tensions ran high during the first leg in Singapore on 23 July 2011, when missiles from Malaysia's travelling fans rained down on the Jalan Besar Stadium field after the Lions' fourth goal. The return leg was even more ill-tempered. Water bottles were aimed at the Singapore players after the final whistle, while Lions goalkeeper, Izwan Mahbud was targeted by laser pointers during the game to distract him.

Results and fixtures

For more details, see Singapore national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023

2024

Coaching staff

Position Name
Technical director England Michael Browne
Team manager Singapore Eric Ong
Head coach Japan Tsutomu Ogura
Assistant Coach(es) Japan Kosei Nakamura
Japan Kentaro Tsuboi
Singapore Nazri Nasir
Singapore Gavin Lee
Goalkeeper Coach Singapore Rameshpal Singh
Individual Coach Japan Yuki Fujimoto
Fitness Coach Germany Jens Eiberger
Match Analyst Singapore Daniel Lau
Japan Koichiro Iizuka
Senior Sports Trainer Singapore Nasruldin Baharuddin
Sports Trainer Singapore Muklis Sawit
Masseur Singapore Gurnaya Singh
Sports Scientist Singapore Faizal Khalid Abdul Aziz
Physiotherapist Singapore Nurhafizah Abu Sujad
Kit Manager Singapore Omar Mohd
Media Officer Singapore Chia Pui San

Coaching history

  • Singapore Lim Yong Liang (1936–1941)
  • Singapore Rahim Sattar (1960–1963)
  • Singapore Harith Omar (1963–1965)
  • Singapore Choo Seng Quee (1964–1967, 1971, 1976–1977)
  • Bulgaria Lozan Korcev (1967–1968)
  • Singapore Yap Boon Chuan (1968–1971)
  • England Mick Walker (1972–1974)
  • Singapore Ibrahim Awang (1974–1975)
  • England Trevor Hartley (1975–1976)
  • Singapore Sebastian Yap (1977–1978)
  • Singapore Jita Singh (1979–1984, 1989)
  • Singapore Hussein Aljunied (1984–1986)
  • Singapore Seak Poh Leong (1987–1988)
  • Malaysia/United States Robin Chan (1990–1992)
  • Czechoslovakia Milouš Kvaček (1992)
  • Singapore P.N. Sivaji (1992–1993)
  • England Ken Worden (1994)
  • England/New Zealand Douglas Moore (1994–1995)
  • England Barry Whitbread (1995–1998)
  • Singapore Vincent Subramaniam (1998–2000)
  • Denmark Jan B. Poulsen (2000–2003)
  • Serbia Radojko Avramović (2003–2012)
  • Singapore V. Sundramoorthy (2013, 2016–2018)
  • Germany Bernd Stange (2013–2016)
  • Singapore Fandi Ahmad (2018)
  • Singapore Nazri Nasir (interim) (2019, 2022)
  • Japan Tatsuma Yoshida (2019–2021)
  • Japan Takayuki Nishigaya (2022–2024)
  • Japan Tsutomu Ogura (2024–present)

Coaching statistics

The following table provides a summary of the Singapore national team under each coach. Includes both competitive and friendly matches.

Manager Singapore career Pld W D L Win % Achievements
Czechoslovakia Kvaček, MiloušMilouš Kvaček February 1992 – May 1992 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 !—
Singapore P.N. Sivaji May 1992 – December 1993 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 !— 1993 Southeast Asian Games – bronze
England Worden, KenKen Worden January 1994 – March 1994 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 !—
England Douglas Moore March 1994 – May 1995 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 !—
England Whitbread, BarryBarry Whitbread June 1995 – November 1998 &&&&&&&&&&&&&031.&&&&&031 &&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&041.90000041.9 1995 Southeast Asian Games – bronze
1998 AFF Championship – champions
Singapore Subramaniam, VincentVincent Subramaniam December 1998 – December 2000 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 !—
Denmark Poulsen, JanJan Poulsen December 2000 – January 2003 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 !—
Serbia Avramović, RadojkoRadojko Avramović July 2003 – December 2012 &&&&&&&&&&&&&064.&&&&&064 &&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024 &&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013 &&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.50000037.5 2004 AFF Championship – champions
2007 AFF Championship – champions
2012 AFF Championship – champions
Singapore Sundramoorthy, V.V. Sundramoorthy January 2013 – May 2013 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.0
Germany Stange, BerndBernd Stange May 2013 – April 2016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032 &&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&046.90000046.9
Singapore Sundramoorthy, V.V. Sundramoorthy May 2016 – April 2018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015 &&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013.0
Singapore Ahmad, FandiFandi Ahmad May 2018 – December 2018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&062.50000062.5
Singapore Nasir, NazriNazri Nasir March 2019 – June 2019 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050.0
Japan Yoshida, TatsumaTatsuma Yoshida June 2019 – December 2021 &&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&031.60000031.6
Singapore Nasir, NazriNazri Nasir March 2022 – April 2022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.00
Japan Nishigaya, TakayukiTakayuki Nishigaya May 2022 – January 2024 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.10000038.1
Japan Ogura, TsutomuTsutomu Ogura February 2024 – &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.0

Players

Current squad

The following 25 players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against  China on 21 and 26 March 2024.

Caps and goals updated as of 26 March 2024, after the match against  China.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Syazwan Buhari (1992-09-22) 22 September 1992 (age 32) 2 0 Singapore BG Tampines Rovers
12 1GK Zharfan Rohaizad (1997-02-21) 21 February 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Singapore Lion City Sailors
18 1GK Hassan Sunny (1984-04-02) 2 April 1984 (age 40) 113 0 Singapore Albirex Niigata (S)
2 2DF Zulqarnaen Suzliman (1998-03-29) 29 March 1998 (age 26) 27 0 Singapore Lion City Sailors
3 2DF Ryhan Stewart (2000-02-15) 15 February 2000 (age 24) 13 0 Thailand BG Pathum United
4 2DF Nazrul Nazari (1991-02-11) 11 February 1991 (age 33) 64 0 Singapore Hougang United
5 2DF Jacob Mahler (2000-04-10) 10 April 2000 (age 24) 11 3 Indonesia Madura United
6 2DF Jared Gallagher (2002-01-18) 18 January 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Singapore BG Tampines Rovers
17 2DF Irfan Fandi (1997-08-13) 13 August 1997 (age 27) 48 2 Thailand BG Pathum United
19 2DF Kieran Teo (2004-04-06) 6 April 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Singapore Young Lions
21 2DF Irfan Najeeb (1999-07-31) 31 July 1999 (age 25) 3 0 Singapore BG Tampines Rovers
11 2DF Fairuz Fazli (2005-01-20) 20 January 2005 (age 19) 0 0 Singapore Young Lions
7 3MF Song Ui-young (1993-11-08) 8 November 1993 (age 31) 24 4 Singapore Lion City Sailors
8 3MF Shah Shahiran (1999-11-14) 14 November 1999 (age 25) 21 1 Singapore BG Tampines Rovers
14 3MF Hariss Harun (captain) (1990-11-19) 19 November 1990 (age 34) 130 11 Singapore Lion City Sailors
15 3MF Joel Chew (2000-02-09) 9 February 2000 (age 24) 5 0 Singapore BG Tampines Rovers
16 3MF Glenn Kweh (2000-03-26) 26 March 2000 (age 24) 11 0 Singapore BG Tampines Rovers
22 3MF Harhys Stewart (2001-03-20) 20 March 2001 (age 23) 2 0 Thailand Chiangrai United
23 3MF Zulfahmi Arifin (1991-10-05) 5 October 1991 (age 33) 65 1 Indonesia Bhayangkara
9 4FW Ikhsan Fandi (1999-04-09) 9 April 1999 (age 25) 36 17 Thailand BG Pathum United
10 4FW Faris Ramli (1992-08-24) 24 August 1992 (age 32) 79 13 Singapore BG Tampines Rovers
11 4FW Hafiz Nor (1988-08-22) 22 August 1988 (age 36) 29 2 Singapore Lion City Sailors
19 4FW Ilhan Fandi (2002-11-08) 8 November 2002 (age 22) 12 2 Belgium Deinze
20 4FW Shawal Anuar (1991-04-29) 29 April 1991 (age 33) 35 11 Singapore Lion City Sailors
13 4FW Daniel Goh (1999-08-13) 13 August 1999 (age 25) 5 0 Singapore Albirex Niigata (S)

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up in the last 24 months to the Singapore squad.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Hairul Syirhan (1995-08-21) 21 August 1995 (age 29) 0 0 Singapore Geylang International v.  Tajikistan, 8 September 2023
GK Zaiful Nizam (1987-07-24) 24 July 1987 (age 37) 5 0 Singapore Hougang United v.  Macau, 26 March 2023
DF Anumanthan Kumar (1994-07-14) 14 July 1994 (age 30) 40 0 Singapore Lion City Sailors v.  China, 21 March 2024 INJ
DF Lionel Tan (1997-06-05) 5 June 1997 (age 27) 11 3 Singapore Lion City Sailors v.  China, 21 March 2024 SUS
DF Safuwan Baharudin (1991-09-22) 22 September 1991 (age 33) 111 13 Malaysia Selangor v.  China, 21 March 2024 SUS
DF Christopher van Huizen (1992-11-28) 28 November 1992 (age 31) 19 1 Singapore Lion City Sailors v.  Thailand, 21 November 2023
DF Amirul Adli (1996-01-13) 13 January 1996 (age 28) 26 0 Singapore BG Tampines Rovers v.  Thailand, 21 November 2023
DF Shakir Hamzah (1992-10-20) 20 October 1992 (age 32) 65 4 Singapore Geylang International v.  Tajikistan, 8 September 2023
DF Jordan Vestering (2000-09-25) 25 September 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Singapore Hougang United v.  Solomon Islands, 18 June 2023
DF Naqiuddin Eunos (1997-01-12) 12 January 1997 (age 27) 2 0 Singapore Geylang International v.  Solomon Islands, 18 June 2023
DF Amirul Haikal (1999-11-04) 4 November 1999 (age 25) 1 0 Singapore BG Tampines Rovers v.  Macau, 26 March 2023
MF Shahdan Sulaiman (1988-05-09) 9 May 1988 (age 36) 89 6 Singapore Hougang United v.  Thailand, 21 November 2023
MF Adam Swandi (1996-01-12) 12 January 1996 (age 28) 22 2 Singapore Lion City Sailors v.  Thailand, 21 November 2023
MF Hami Syahin (1998-12-16) 16 December 1998 (age 25) 21 0 Singapore Lion City Sailors v.  Thailand, 21 November 2023
MF Farhan Zulkifli (2002-11-10) 10 November 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Singapore Young Lions v.  Guam, 17 October 2023
MF Fathullah Rahmat (2002-09-15) 15 September 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Singapore Young Lions FC v.  Solomon Islands, 18 June 2023
MF Ho Wai Loon (1993-08-20) 20 August 1993 (age 31) 7 0 Singapore Albirex Niigata (S) v.  Solomon Islands, 18 June 2023
MF Huzaifah Aziz (1994-06-27) 27 June 1994 (age 30) 6 0 Singapore Geylang International v.  Macau, 26 March 2023
MF Joshua Pereira (1997-10-10) 10 October 1997 (age 27) 6 0 Singapore Geylang International v.  Macau, 26 March 2023
FW Iqbal Hussain (1993-06-06) 6 June 1993 (age 31) 9 0 Singapore Geylang International v.  Guam, 17 October 2023
FW Amy Recha (1992-05-13) 13 May 1992 (age 32) 13 0 Singapore Albirex Niigata (S) v.  Solomon Islands, 18 June 2023
FW Sahil Suhaimi (1992-07-08) 8 July 1992 (age 32) 23 1 Singapore Hougang United v.  Macau, 26 March 2023
FW Taufik Suparno (1995-10-31) 31 October 1995 (age 29) 6 0 Singapore BG Tampines Rovers v.  Macau, 26 March 2023

Notes:

  • COV Player out due to COVID / COVID warning
  • INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury
  • PRE Preliminary squad
  • STA Player on standby
  • SUS Player suspended
  • RET Retired from the national team
  • WD Player withdrew from the squad

Player records

Players in bold are still active with Singapore.

Most appearances

DanielBennett-anthem-20080326
Daniel Bennett is Singapore's most capped player with 146 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Daniel Bennett 146 7 2002–2017
2 Shahril Ishak 144 15 2003–2018
3 Baihakki Khaizan 143 5 2003–2021
4 Khairul Amri 135 32 2004–2019
5 Hariss Harun 130 11 2007–present
6 Malek Awab 121 - 1980–1996
Aide Iskandar 121 0 1995–2007
8 Shunmugham Subramani 115 0 1996–2007
9 Indra Sahdan Daud 113 30 1997–2013
Hassan Sunny 113 0 2004–present
NB The list is incomplete as Samad Allapitchay and Dollah Kassim each, reportedly, have over a hundred caps - however exact figures are still being researched.

Top goalscorers

1 fandi ahmad 2017
Fandi Ahmad at a charity game in 2017. He is Singapore's top goalscorer, with 55 goals.
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 Varadaraju Sundramoorthy 20 48 0.42 1983–1995
7 Ikhsan Fandi 17 36 0.52 2017–present
Rafi Ali 76 0.22 1994–2004
9 Agu Casmir 15 45 0.33 2004–2012
10 Shahril Ishak 14 144 0.1 2003–2018

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Result Position Pld W D* L F A Squad Pld W D L F A
1930 to 1950 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
1954 to 1974 Did not enter Did not enter
Argentina 1978 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 5 6
Spain 1982 3 0 1 2 1 3
Mexico 1986 4 0 1 3 2 11
Italy 1990 6 2 1 3 12 9
United States 1994 8 5 0 3 12 12
France 1998 4 0 1 3 2 8
South Korea Japan 2002 6 0 2 4 3 8
Germany 2006 6 1 0 5 3 13
South Africa 2010 10 5 1 4 17 17
Brazil 2014 8 1 1 6 8 24
Russia 2018 8 3 1 4 9 9
Qatar 2022 8 2 1 5 7 22
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Qualification in progress 6 2 1 3 7 15
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/18 – – – – – – — 81 23 12 46 88 157

AFC Asian Cup

Main article: Singapore at the AFC Asian Cup
AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956 Withdrew Withdrew
South Korea 1960 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 3 9
Israel 1964 Withdrew Withdrew
Iran 1968 Did not qualify 4 0 1 3 2 10
Thailand 1972 Withdrew Withdrew
Iran 1976 Did not qualify 3 1 0 2 7 3
Kuwait 1980 3 0 0 3 1 11
Singapore 1984 Group stage 7th 4 1 1 2 3 4 Squad Qualified as hosts
Qatar 1988 Withdrew Withdrew
Japan 1992 Did not qualify 3 0 1 2 2 4
United Arab Emirates 1996 6 3 3 0 16 7
Lebanon 2000 3 2 0 1 2 3
China 2004 8 3 1 4 8 11
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 5 1 1 3 4 6
Qatar 2011 6 2 0 4 6 15
Australia 2015 6 1 0 5 4 17
United Arab Emirates 2019 14 3 3 8 12 18
Qatar 2023 8 2 1 5 7 22
Saudi Arabia 2027 To be determined To be determined
Total Group stage 1/18 4 1 1 2 3 4 — 71 18 11 42 74 136

AFF Championship

AFF Championship record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Singapore 1996 Group stage 5th 4 2 1 1 7 2 Squad
Vietnam 1998 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 9 2 Squad
Thailand 2000 Group stage 5th 4 2 0 2 4 2 Squad
Indonesia Singapore 2002 6th 3 1 1 1 3 6 Squad
Malaysia Vietnam 2004 Champions 1st 8 6 2 0 23 10 Squad
Singapore Thailand 2007 1st 7 2 5 0 18 6 Squad
Indonesia Thailand 2008 Semi-finals 3rd 5 3 1 1 10 2 Squad
Indonesia Vietnam 2010 Group stage 5th 3 1 1 1 3 3 Squad
Malaysia Thailand 2012 Champions 1st 7 4 1 2 11 6 Squad
Singapore Vietnam 2014 Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 6 7 Squad
Myanmar Philippines 2016 7th 3 0 1 2 1 3 Squad
ASEAN 2018 6th 4 2 0 2 7 5 Squad
Singapore 2020 Semi-finals 4th 6 3 1 2 10 8 Squad
ASEAN 2022 Group stage 5th 4 2 1 1 6 6 Squad
Total 4 Titles 14/14 66 33 16 17 118 68 —

Asian Games

Asian Games record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
India 1951 Did not enter
Philippines 1954 Group stage 2 0 1 1 2 7 Squad
Japan 1958 2 0 0 2 2 4 Squad
Indonesia 1962 Did not enter
Thailand 1966 Fourth place 7 2 1 4 11 15 Squad
Thailand 1970 to South Korea 1986 Did not enter
China 1990 Group stage 3 1 0 2 7 13 Squad
Japan 1994 Did not enter
Thailand 1998
Since 2002 See Singapore national under-23 football team
Total Fourth place 14 3 2 9 22 39 —

Southeast Asian Games

Southeast Asian Games record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
Thailand 1959 Did not enter
Myanmar 1961
Cambodia 1963 Cancelled
Malaysia 1965 Preliminary round 2 0 0 2 1 6
Thailand 1967 Did not enter
Myanmar 1969
Malaysia 1971 Group stage 2 0 0 2 2 11
Singapore 1973 Fourth place 4 1 2 1 2 4
Thailand 1975 Bronze medalists 3 0 2 1 4 5
Malaysia 1977 Group stage 2 0 0 2 1 7
Indonesia 1979 4 1 1 2 4 8
Philippines 1981 Fourth place 4 1 1 2 5 4
Singapore 1983 Silver medalists 4 3 0 1 12 3
Thailand 1985 4 2 1 1 6 4
Indonesia 1987 Group stage 2 0 2 0 0 0
Malaysia 1989 Silver medalists 4 2 1 1 7 4
Philippines 1991 Bronze medalists 4 2 2 0 4 1
Singapore 1993 5 3 2 0 16 5
Thailand 1995 6 3 2 1 11 5
Indonesia 1997 Fourth place 6 2 2 2 6 6
Brunei 1999 6 3 2 1 8 5
Since 2001 See Singapore national under-23 football team
Total 3 Silver medals 62 23 20 19 89 78

Head-to-head record

Main article: Singapore national football team results

      More wins       Wins equal losses       More losses

As of 26 March 2024 after match against  China
Opponent
 First Last Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Confederation
 Afghanistan 2015 2021 4 1 1 2 4 5 –1 AFC
 Argentina 2017 2017 1 0 0 1 0 6 –6 CONMEBOL
 Australia 1967 2008 8 0 1 7 4 22 –22 AFC / OFC
 Azerbaijan 2012 2012 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 UEFA
 Bahrain 1981 2017 10 1 1 8 5 18 −13 AFC
 Bangladesh 1973 2015 4 1 2 1 4 4 0 AFC
 Brazil 2008 2008 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 CONMEBOL
 Brunei 1975 2015 24 19 4 1 71 11 60 AFC
 Cambodia 1957 2018 19 14 2 3 39 14 25 AFC
 Canada 1986 1986 2 0 0 2 0 2 −2 CONCACAF
 China 1980 2024 19 3 6 12 17 45 −28 AFC
 Chinese Taipei 2011 2023 4 2 0 2 7 6 1 AFC
 Denmark 2010 2010 1 0 0 1 1 5 –4 UEFA
 Fiji 2018 2018 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 OFC
 Finland 1997 1997 1 0 0 1 0 1 –1 UEFA
 Germany 1975 1975 1 0 0 1 1 4 −3 UEFA
 Ghana 1982 1982 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 CAF
 Guam 2015 2023 3 2 1 0 2 5 1 AFC
 Hong Kong 1958 2023 23 6 7 10 28 34 –6 AFC
 India 1959 2022 13 7 2 4 19 12 7 AFC
 Indonesia 1958 2021 60 18 13 29 76 114 −38 AFC
 Iran 1984 2010 3 0 1 2 2 10 −8 AFC
 Iraq 1978 2012 6 1 0 5 5 22 −15 AFC
 Israel 1958 1958 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1 UEFA
 Japan 1959 2015 28 3 2 23 21 67 −46 AFC
 Jordan 2002 2019 8 1 1 6 6 16 −10 AFC
 Kazakhstan 2006 2006 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 UEFA
 North Korea 1975 2010 11 2 1 8 10 20 –10 AFC
 South Korea 1953 2023 37 2 3 32 22 110 –88 AFC
 Kuwait 1973 2022 10 1 3 6 6 18 −12 AFC
 Kyrgyzstan 2001 2022 4 0 1 3 3 6 –3 AFC
 Laos 1970 2022 13 11 1 1 40 10 30 AFC
 Lebanon 1997 2017 5 2 1 2 6 5 1 AFC
 Macau 2000 2023 4 3 1 0 6 2 –4 AFC
 Malaysia 1958 2023 80 26 22 32 97 121 –24 AFC
 Maldives 1996 2022 6 6 0 0 20 4 16 AFC
 Mauritius 2018 2018 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 CAF
 Mongolia 2018 2018 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 AFC
 Morocco 1970 1970 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 CAF
 Myanmar 1985 2022 39 18 7 14 74 68 6 AFC
   Nepal 1982 1989 3 3 0 0 12 0 12 AFC
 Netherlands 1984 1984 1 0 0 1 1 2 –1 UEFA
 New Zealand 1967 2001 7 1 1 5 6 13 −7 OFC
 Norway 1992 2004 2 0 0 2 2 6 −4 UEFA
 Oman 1988 2019 10 1 1 8 7 26 −19 AFC
 Pakistan 1981 2012 4 3 0 1 13 2 11 AFC
 [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]] 2003 2021 6 3 2 2 10 6 4 AFC
 Papua New Guinea 2014 2023 3 2 1 0 6 4 2 OFC
 Philippines 1962 2022 25 16 4 5 55 15 45 AFC
 Poland 2010 2010 1 0 0 1 1 6 −5 UEFA
 Qatar 1984 2019 13 1 1 11 5 30 −25 AFC
 Saudi Arabia 1981 2021 11 0 2 9 3 26 −23 AFC
 Solomon Islands 2019 2023 2 1 1 0 5 4 1 OFC
 Sri Lanka 1972 1979 3 2 0 1 9 6 3 AFC
 Sweden 1979 1979 1 0 0 1 0 5 –5 UEFA
 Syria 1978 2016 6 2 0 4 7 11 –4 AFC
 Tajikistan 2007 2023 4 1 1 2 3 4 -1 AFC
 Thailand 1957 2023 67 11 18 38 67 114 −47 AFC
 East Timor 2018 2021 2 2 0 0 8 1 7 AFC
 Turkmenistan 2009 2017 3 2 1 0 6 4 2 AFC
 United Arab Emirates 1982 2007 6 0 1 5 6 15 −11 AFC
 Uruguay 2002 2002 1 0 0 1 1 2 –1 CONMEBOL
 Soviet Union 1974 1974 2 0 0 2 0 4 −4 UEFA
 Uzbekistan 2008 2021 4 0 0 4 4 16 –12 AFC
 Vietnam 1954 2022 34 5 12 17 37 58 –21 AFC
 Yemen 2019 2019 2 1 1 0 4 3 1 AFC
 Yugoslavia 1985 1985 2 0 1 1 1 3 −2 UEFA
Opponent Played Won Drawn Lost Goals for Goals against Goal difference  % Won Confederation
All 611 178 115 318 766 1072 -306 29.04% AFC

Honours

Regional
  • AFF Championship
    • Champions (4): 1998, 2004, 2007, 2012
    • Third place: 2008
  • Southeast Asian Games
    • Silver medalists (3): 1983, 1985, 1989
    • Bronze medalists (4): 1975, 1991, 1993, 1995
Summary
Overview
Event 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 4th place
FIFA World Cup 0 0 0 0
Summer Olympic Games 0 0 0 0
AFC Asian Cup 0 0 0 0
Asian Games 0 0 0 1
AFF Cup 4 0 1 1
SEA Games 0 3 4 4
Total 4 3 5 6
Invitational
  • AYA Bank Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 2016
  • AirMarine Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 2019
  • Tri-Nation Series
    • Champions (1): 2022

See also

Kids robot.svg 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
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Singapore national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.