Singapore’s national football team, the Lions, have concluded a demanding two-week training camp in Okinawa, Japan, aimed at preparing them for the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup. Head coach Gavin Lee told CNA on Tuesday, July 21, that the camp was designed to push players to their limits and expose them to a higher tempo of play.

During the camp from July 6 to July 17, the Lions faced tough opposition, losing 0-2 to third-tier side FC Ryukyu and 2-3 to fourth-tier team Okinawa SV. Lee explained these matches were intentionally challenging to overload players in their pre-season and help them adapt to the pace of stronger opponents for the full 90 minutes.

"That was something that we knew and we expected, and it was necessary for the boys to suffer," Lee said. He added that the team did not seek easy games, emphasizing the value of discomfort and frustration as learning experiences to better prepare for the tournament.

Singapore will begin their ASEAN Championship campaign against Cambodia on Friday, July 24, followed by a home game against Timor-Leste at Jalan Besar Stadium on July 27. The team will then travel to Hanoi to face defending champions Vietnam on July 31, before concluding the group stage against Indonesia on August 7.

Reflecting on the previous tournament, Lee noted that the Lions, then coached by Tsutomu Ogura, reached the semi-finals but were eliminated after a 5-1 aggregate loss to Vietnam.

"Our reference is the ASEAN Football Federation (championship). Everything we do is to prepare us for the AFF. And so hopefully what we went through, the suffering we went through, would bear fruit when we arrive at the tournament," Lee said. He stressed that in tournament football, "every game is a final."

Sources