Looks like the Lion City Sailors are running the show now or at least the youth national teams, based on the latest announcements by the Football Association of Singapore.
The appointment of Firdaus Kassim as the U22 coach especially, does not come as a surprise as TMSG had already made a post about it on 9 May.
Apart from Firdaus, two other coaches from the Sailors have been appointed to lead Singapore’s national youth teams, as announced by Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on Instagram.
Ashraf Ariffin will take charge of the U16 boys, while Yeong Sheau Shyan has been named head coach of the U16 girls.
Yeong is also a current sitting FAS Council member.
“I’m confident that with the right approach, preparation and discipline, Singapore’s own young footballers will be able to compete with the best in the region,” said Ashraf.
The Lion City Cup returns to Jalan Besar Stadium from July 8 to 13.
For the first time ever, it will include a girls’ competition alongside the boys’ competitions.
Firdaus Kassim has been named U22 head coach, with former international Hafiz Sujad as team manager.
The duo will also lead the Young Lions in the 2025/26 Singapore Premier League (SPL) and the 2025 Southeast Asian Games (SEA) Games.
With all three teams now under Sailors-linked coaches, it’s clear who’s steering the ship.
There has been industry disquiet over the various appointments, given that all coaches hail from the Sailors.
Forrest Li, owner of the Sailors, was installed as the President of the Football Association of Singapore at the end of April.
Questions will need to be answered about the process which the FAS went through prior to appointing all three coaches to the role.
MAIN PHOTO: FAS