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Coach Ogura must prepare to take a bold step now
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THE CHALLENGE AHEAD FOR COACH OGURA
With both
Lion City Sailors and
BG Tampines Rovers participating in the
AFC Champions League 2 (ACL 2) — the former in the group stage and the latter in the play-off round as the second-best local team — it is an opportune time for national coach
Tsutoma Ogura to broaden his scouting scope.
This is particularly pertinent given the
scheduling overlap between the biennial regional showpiece and ACL 2, the new second-tier continental club tournament where many key Lions players are likely to be involved.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW TALENTS
Since the AFF Championship is a non-FIFA sanctioned tournament, clubs are under no obligation to release their players for matches, which could make Coach Ogura's task challenging if he persists with the same selection ratio as in
his recent Lions call-up for the World Cup qualifiers, where nearly half of the 27 players selected came from both Sailors and the Stags.
Consider the possibility that overseas-based players might not be released by their clubs during the AFF Championship, the former Japanese national assistant coach will see his pool shrink even further.
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| Geylang International and Balestier Khalsa are free of external commitments |
As previously mentioned, this could be an ideal opportunity for Coach Ogura to broaden his selection scope, if possible, when choosing his squad for the regional tournament.
By doing so, he can provide a platform for eligible players from clubs without ACL 2 commitments to showcase their worth and gain valuable exposure.
This is also the right thing to do if the regeneration of the national team is now the top priority. When could a better opportunity than the AFF Championship be offered?
IMPACT OF CLUB COMMITMENTS ON NATIONAL TEAM
By doing so, we will have to temporarily set aside our pride to allow these raw talents to experience the culture shock at a higher level. Always remember that the differences in all aspects between domestic and international football are significant, and players should be prepared for that impact.
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| Lion City Sailors will be playing in the Shopee Cup |
Some may argue that the revival of the
ASEAN Club Championship, also known as the
Shopee Cup for sponsorship reasons, provides another platform for players to gain exposure at the club level without compromising national pride. However, with only one slot allocated to a Singaporean team (i.e., Lion City Sailors), where would the opportunity for those players to gain the experience we are looking for come from?
PREPARING FOR THE AFF CHAMPIONSHIP
Given that the remaining FIFA window periods of the year before the AFF Championship (to be held from 23rd November to 21st December 2024) are scheduled during the months of September and October, a maximum of two matches can be arranged during each period.
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| 7-0 loss to South Korea is just another "wake up" call |
This will allow Coach Ogura to try out some new players, if any, at a time when the need for rejuvenation of the national team is at an all-time high, especially after
the crushing defeat by South Korea in early June in front of 49,000 fans.
It is never too early, but we must not leave it too late as time is no longer on our side when we need the right catalyst to kick-start the regeneration of the Lions.
