Singapore national football team head coach Tsutomu Ogura has stepped down from his role due to personal reasons, cutting short his tenure just 17 months into a two-year contract. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced the resignation on Tuesday, stating that the 58-year-old needed to return to Japan to attend to pressing matters. Despite efforts to retain him, Ogura’s departure was confirmed.
Ogura, who took charge in February 2024, leaves behind a growing legacy. He guided the Lions to the semi-finals of the ASEAN Championship and most recently oversaw two consecutive victories — a 3-1 home win over the Maldives in an international friendly on June 5, and a crucial 2-1 away victory against Bangladesh in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10.
That win over Bangladesh, which Ogura tactically masterminded, placed Singapore at the top of Group C on goals scored, level on four points with Hong Kong and ahead of Bangladesh and India, who have one point each. Only the group winners will advance to the 2027 Asian Cup.
Ogura’s exit comes at a critical juncture in Singapore’s football rebuild. The Lions face back-to-back clashes against India in October, with Asian Cup qualification hopes hanging in the balance. Singapore have never qualified for the continental showpiece on merit, with their only appearance coming as hosts in 1984.
The FAS has appointed former Tampines Rovers coach Gavin Lee as interim head coach while the search for a permanent replacement begins. Ogura, a former assistant coach with the Japan national team, was Singapore’s third consecutive Japanese head coach, following Takayuki Nishigaya (2022–2024) and Tatsuma Yoshida (2019–2021).
His unexpected departure marks yet another chapter in Singapore football’s coaching instability, though his brief stint leaves behind a sense of tactical progress and revived optimism.