The Singapore football fraternity convened earlier today at Shangri-La Singapore for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Congress, where President Forrest Li and the FAS Council reflected on the progress made over the past year and the work ahead to continue advancing Singapore football.

The Congress brought together representatives from FAS member clubs and the wider football fraternity, alongside partners and stakeholders from FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), Sport Singapore (SportSG) and Unleash the Roar! (UTR!).

The Congress also reviewed the progress made across the FAS Council’s key priorities over the past year, as well as further developments already underway in the new financial year.

Mr Li, who took office in April 2025, reiterated the Council’s four key priorities: improving the performance of the National Team, enhancing football infrastructure, elevating the competitiveness and appeal of the Singapore Premier League (SPL), and advancing youth development.

While encouraged by the progress made, Mr Li stressed that much work remains.

“We are starting to see some progress from these efforts. But there is still a long way to go, and much more we must do to bring pride and joy back to Singapore football,” he said.

Progress on the international stage

The Men’s National Team made significant strides over the past year, qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup on merit for the first time following an unbeaten qualifying campaign.

The Lions also delivered encouraging performances at the ASEAN Hyundai Cup, where Singapore was the only team that eventual champions Vietnam did not defeat. The Lions recorded their first win over Thailand on Thai soil in 15 years and became the first team in the tournament to both score against and defeat the seven-time champions, before exiting in the semi-finals.

More recently, the Lions’ matches against Indonesia provided a measure of both the progress made and the level Singapore must continue working towards. After holding Indonesia to a 1-1 draw in August, Singapore fell 2-0 to a full-strength Indonesian side in Jakarta on Friday.

Mr Li said the result underlined the gap the Lions must continue to bridge to compete consistently with the region’s strongest teams.

“While we are in a much better position today than we were a year ago, this result shows us the true gap we need to bridge if we want to be competitive in our region,” he said.

“I am proud of the team for showing good heart and competing hard in the second half, never giving up. Although we lost, we didn’t give them an easy match either. We must keep that fighting spirit alive.”

The progress on the pitch has been accompanied by renewed support in the stands. Every ASEAN Cup match played in Singapore was sold out at Jalan Besar Stadium, while more than 30,000 supporters attended the Lions’ final Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh at the National Stadium.

FAS also hopes to stage more National Team matches at the National Stadium, allowing more Singaporeans to experience and support the Lions. 

Progress has continued with the Women’s National Team following the appointment of Mihoko Ishida as Head Coach in April 2026.

Under her leadership, the Lionesses finished third at the AFF Women’s Cup, securing qualification for the 2027 ASEAN Women’s Championship with wins over higher-ranked opponents, including Malaysia and Cambodia. All Women’s Premier League matches were also live-streamed for the first time this year, further increasing the visibility of the women’s game.

Strengthening the domestic game and player pathway

Alongside the National Teams, efforts continued to strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic game and build a stronger pathway for Singapore players. The SPL prize pool has more than doubled, with prizes introduced for fifth and sixth place, alongside upgrades to the league’s broadcast capabilities. Hawk-Eye’s VAR technology – the same system used in the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup – has also been introduced.

For youth development, the FAS worked with UTR! and SportSG to launch the Singapore Premier Youth League, which brings together the top teams and academies across Singapore and will strengthen the long-term pipeline for professional football.

These developments reflect the Council’s approach of strengthening the different parts of the football ecosystem together – from the youth pathway and domestic competitions to infrastructure and the National Teams.

Building on the momentum

The Congress also heard an update on Cardiff City defender Perry Ng, who has received his Singapore citizenship.

FAS is currently going through the necessary FIFA processes for Ng to be eligible to represent Singapore.

Mr Li said Singapore takes a disciplined approach when considering players who could strengthen the National Team, with sporting ability only one part of that consideration.

“Beyond sporting ability, players must show that they can integrate into our society, and are prepared to take up the responsibilities that come with citizenship,” said Mr Li.

“Perry has shown exactly that.”

Ng’s connection with Singapore stems from his late grandfather, who was born here before moving to Liverpool to study in the 1970s. His grandfather introduced him to football, and Ng has spoken about his desire to represent Singapore as a way of honouring him and making his family in Singapore proud.

Over the past few years, Ng has regularly returned to Singapore during the off-season to spend time with family. He has also participated in community activities and familiarisation training with the Lions, and supported the National Team from the stands when he was unable to take to the pitch.

“I met Perry earlier a few days ago, and he’s really excited to get started,” said Mr Li.

FAS thanked MCCY, SportSG, UTR! and all those involved in supporting the process.

With progress made across the National Teams, domestic competitions, youth development and infrastructure, the Congress recognised that building Singapore football will require sustained effort and support over the longer term.

Mr Li expressed his gratitude to partners who have contributed to these efforts, including Adidas and MSIG, and called on the wider football fraternity to continue working together.

“Elevating Singapore football is a multi-year, generational effort, and we cannot do it alone,” he said.

“We have started to see what we can achieve if we give Singapore football our full belief and the right support. With continued unity from everyone in this room, I am confident we can bring the pride and joy back to Singapore football.”