Singapore national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Singapore

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
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	NR (7 February 2019)
Highest	73 (August 1993)
Lowest	173 (October 2017)
Elo ranking
Current	182 2 (3 March 2019)
Highest	103 (4 November 2009)
Lowest	196 (November 2016)
First international
Singapore 1–0 China  (Singapore; 22 May 1948)
Biggest win
Singapore 11–0 Laos  (Kallang, Singapore; 15 January 2007)
Biggest defeat
Singapore 0–9 Burma  (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.

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)

Radojko Avramović, known as 'Raddy', was Singapore's coach for a long time and won the AFF Championship three times.

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!

Singapore playing against Lebanon in 2008.

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.

Singapore playing against Syria in 2015.

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
Admiral	1954–1973
Puma	1974–1990
Umbro	1991–1992
Puma	1993–1997
Grand Sport	1998–2000
Tiger (Collaboration with Diadora)	2001–2006
Nike	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   Hong Kong (25 March 2025; 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification)
	Jalan Besar Stadium	6,000	Kallang	v   Vietnam (26 December 2024; 2024 ASEAN Championship)
	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	4,600	Jurong West	v   Pakistan (19 November 2012; Friendly)
	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	3,400	Yishun	v   Cambodia (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.

Position	Name
Team Manager	Eric Ong
Head Coach	Gavin Lee (Interim)
Assistant Coach	Fadzuhasny Juraimi
	Hasrin Jailani
	Firdaus Kassim
Goalkeeper Coach	Rameshpal Singh
Individual Coach	Fairuz Ali
Match Analyst	Daniel Lau
Head Football Science and Medicine	Firdaus Maasar
Fitness Coach	Dževad Šarić
Senior Sports Trainer	Nasruldin Baharuddin
Sports Trainer	Fazly Hasan Ryan Wang
Masseur	Gurnaya Singh
Sports Scientist	Faizal Khalid Abdul Aziz
Lead Physiotherapist	Nurhafizah Abu Sujad
Kit Manager	Omar Mohd
Media Officer	Chia Pui San

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.

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	1GK	Izwan Mahbud	(1990-07-14) 14 July 1990 (age 35)	65	0	Lion City Sailors
12	1GK	Syazwan Buhari	(1992-09-22) 22 September 1992 (age 32)	3	0	BG Tampines Rovers
23	1GK	Rudy Khairullah	(1994-07-19) 19 July 1994 (age 31)	0	0	Geylang International
2	2DF	Irfan Najeeb	(1999-07-31) 31 July 1999 (age 25)	13	1	BG Tampines Rovers
3	2DF	Ryhan Stewart	(2000-02-15) 15 February 2000 (age 25)	26	0	Kanchanaburi Power
5	2DF	Amirul Adli	(1996-01-13) 13 January 1996 (age 29)	36	1	Tampines Rovers
15	2DF	Lionel Tan	(1997-06-05) 5 June 1997 (age 28)	23	3	Lion City Sailors
17	2DF	Jordan Emaviwe	(2001-04-09) 9 April 2001 (age 24)	5	0	BG Pathum United
21	2DF	Safuwan Baharudin	(1991-09-22) 22 September 1991 (age 33)	124	13	Lion City Sailors
22	2DF	Christopher van Huizen	(1992-11-28) 28 November 1992 (age 32)	28	1	Lion City Sailors
6	3MF	Kyoga Nakamura	(1996-04-25) 25 April 1996 (age 29)	11	2	Bangkok United
7	3MF	Song Ui-young	(1993-11-08) 8 November 1993 (age 31)	27	5	Lion City Sailors
8	2DF	Shah Shahiran	(1999-11-14) 14 November 1999 (age 25)	34	1	BG Tampines Rovers
11	3MF	Farhan Zulkifli	(2002-11-10) 10 November 2002 (age 22)	6	1	Hougang United
14	3MF	Hariss Harun (captain)	(1990-11-19) 19 November 1990 (age 34)	142	11	Lion City Sailors
16	3MF	Hami Syahin	(1998-12-16) 16 December 1998 (age 26)	34	0	Lion City Sailors
18	3MF	Harhys Stewart	(2001-03-20) 20 March 2001 (age 24)	8	0	Ferizaj
9	4FW	Ikhsan Fandi	(1999-04-09) 9 April 1999 (age 26)	40	21	Ratchaburi
10	4FW	Faris Ramli	(1992-08-24) 24 August 1992 (age 32)	92	15	BG Tampines Rovers
11	4FW	Glenn Kweh	(2000-03-26) 26 March 2000 (age 25)	22	0	BG Tampines Rovers
13	4FW	Taufik Suparno	(1995-10-31) 31 October 1995 (age 29)	14	0	BG Tampines Rovers
19	4FW	Ilhan Fandi	(2002-11-08) 8 November 2002 (age 22)	17	2	Buriram United
20	4FW	Amir Syafiz	(2004-06-21) 21 June 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Young Lions

Player Records

Players in bold are still active with Singapore.

Most Games Played

Daniel Bennett is one of Singapore's most capped players.

Hariss Harun is also one of Singapore's most capped players.

These players have played the most games for Singapore.

Top Goalscorers

Fandi Ahmad is Singapore's top goalscorer.

These players have scored the most goals for Singapore.

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
1930	Not a FIFA member										Not a FIFA member
1934
1938
1950
1954	Did not enter										Did not enter
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978	Did not qualify										5	2	1	2	5	7
1982											3	0	1	2	1	3
1986											4	0	1	3	2	11
1990											6	2	1	3	12	9
1994											8	5	0	3	12	12
1998											4	0	1	3	2	8
2002											6	0	2	4	3	8
2006											6	1	0	5	3	13
2010											10	5	1	4	17	17
2014											8	1	1	6	8	24
2018											8	3	1	4	9	9
2022											8	2	1	5	7	22
2026											8	2	1	5	8	25
2030	To be determined										To be determined
2034
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
1956	Withdrew										Withdrew
1960	Did not qualify										2	0	0	2	3	9
1964	Withdrew										Withdrew
1968	Did not qualify										4	0	1	3	2	10
1972	Withdrew										Withdrew
1976	Did not qualify										3	1	0	2	7	3
1980											3	0	0	3	1	11
1984	Group stage	7th	4	1	1	2	3	4	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1988	Withdrew										Withdrew
1992	Did not qualify										3	0	1	2	2	4
1996											6	3	3	0	16	7
2000											3	2	0	1	2	3
2004											8	3	1	4	8	11
2007											5	1	1	3	4	6
2011											6	2	0	4	6	15
2015											6	1	0	5	4	17
2019											14	3	3	8	12	18
2023											11	3	1	7	14	27
2027	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.

ASEAN Championship record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
1996	Group stage	5th	4	2	1	1	7	2	Squad
1998	Champions	1st	5	4	1	0	9	2	Squad
2000	Group stage	5th	4	2	0	2	4	2	Squad
2002		6th	3	1	1	1	3	6	Squad
2004	Champions	1st	8	6	2	0	23	10	Squad
2007		1st	7	2	5	0	18	6	Squad
2008	Semi-finals	3rd	5	3	1	1	10	2	Squad
2010	Group stage	5th	3	1	1	1	3	3	Squad
2012	Champions	1st	7	4	1	2	11	6	Squad
2014	Group stage	6th	3	1	0	2	6	7	Squad
2016		7th	3	0	1	2	1	3	Squad
2018		6th	4	2	0	2	7	5	Squad
2020	Semi-finals	4th	6	3	1	2	10	8	Squad
2022	Group stage	5th	4	2	1	1	6	6	Squad
2024	Semi-finals	4th	6	2	1	3	8	10	Squad
Total	4 Titles	15/15	72	35	17	20	126	78	—

Asian Games

Singapore has also competed in the Asian Games. Their best result was fourth place in 1966.

Asian Games record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
1951	Did not enter
1954	Group stage	2	0	1	1	2	7	Squad
1958		2	0	0	2	2	4	Squad
1962	Did not enter
1966	Fourth place	7	2	1	4	11	15	Squad
1970	Did not enter
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990	Group stage	3	1	0	2	7	13	Squad
1994	Did not enter
1998
Since 2002	See Singapore national under-23 football team
Total	Fourth place	14	3	2	9	22	39	—

Southeast Asian Games

Singapore has won several medals at the Southeast Asian Games.

Southeast Asian Games record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1959	Did not enter
1961
1963	Cancelled
1965	Preliminary round	2	0	0	2	1	6
1967	Did not enter
1969
1971	Group stage	2	0	0	2	2	11
1973	Fourth place	4	1	2	1	2	4
1975	Bronze medalists	3	0	2	1	4	5
1977	Group stage	2	0	0	2	1	7
1979		4	1	1	2	4	8
1981	Fourth place	4	1	1	2	5	4
1983	Silver medalists	4	3	0	1	12	3
1985		4	2	1	1	6	4
1987	Group stage	2	0	2	0	0	0
1989	Silver medalists	4	2	1	1	7	4
1991	Bronze medalists	4	2	2	0	4	1
1993		5	3	2	0	16	5
1995		6	3	2	1	11	5
1997	Fourth place	6	2	2	2	6	6
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

Honours

Singapore has won several titles and medals in football tournaments.

Regional Titles

• ASEAN Championship
  • Champions (4): 1998, 2004, 2007, 2012
  • Third place (1): 2008
• Southeast Asian Games
  • Silver medal (3): 1983, 1985, 1989
  • Bronze medal (4): 1991, 1993, 1995

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