Singapore Football Coach Ogura Resigns After 17 Months; Interim Leader Appointed Amid Asian Cup Qualifiers

Tsutomu Ogura has resigned as head coach of the Singapore men's national football team due to pressing personal matters that require his return to Japan, ending his 17-month tenure prematurely. Despite efforts by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to retain him, Ogura's situation made it untenable for him to continue. During his time, Ogura led the Lions to the ASEAN Championship semi-finals and recent victories in Asian Cup qualifiers, including wins over the Maldives and Bangladesh that currently place Singapore atop their qualifying group. He was the third consecutive Japanese coach for Singapore, following Takayuki Nishigaya and Tatsuma Yoshida. Gavin Lee, former head coach of Tampines Rovers, has been appointed interim head coach while the FAS actively searches for a permanent replacement. The resignation comes at a critical time as Singapore prepares for upcoming Asian Cup qualifying matches against India in October.