Tengah FC will not be part of the upcoming Singapore Premier League season.
On 3 July, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said that the FAS “concluded the process of evaluating potential clubs for the 2024/2025 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season” and that Tengah was “one club was given in-principal approval to participate in SPL 2024/2025”.
However, the “shortlisted club entered into a due diligence process, which took longer than expected” and “given the tight deadline prior to the commencement of the SPL in May 2024, the club has decided not to contest the 2024/25 season.”
The club will now instead get prepared for the following season, if at all.
The FAS did not reveal what exactly the club did not meet in their due diligence process.
TMSG sources indicate that the club was not able to show proof of funds, or provide a banker’s guarantee.
TMSG understands that Woodlands Lions, which was also keen to take part, had to show proof of funds of up to $2 million.
Tengah’s failure to meet the necessary requirements will mean that the SPL will remain to be stuck at nine teams.
Woodlands Lions had also not been given the go-ahead.
“The FAS remains committed to improving the SPL and will continue to explore opportunities to enhance Singapore’s top domestic football competition,” said the FAS in its statement.
See full statement.
WHAT TENGAH SAID
In a social media post, Tengah FC said that “the short timeline before the start of the 2024/25 season has unfortunately left us with insufficient preparation time.”
“We firmly believe that rushing into the SPL season under these conditions will not yield good results for anyone and we want to be accountable to our fans, stakeholders and partners,” the club said.
The club will continue in the Singapore Football League.
See full statement by Tengah FC.