SINGAPORE - Lions head coach Tatsuma Yoshida has resigned and will be leaving his post a year before his contract is up in December 2022, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced on Tuesday (Dec 28).
The announcement was made after a reception hosted by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong at the Jalan Besar Stadium to recognise the efforts of the team at the AFF Suzuki Cup.
They were the first players to reach the semi-final of the biennial regional tournament since 2012 — when they last won it — but were eliminated after a controversy-riddled semi-final second leg tie with Indonesia on Dec 25.
Yoshida had said in an interview with The Straits Times a day after the team's exit that he had received several offers from clubs in his native Japan, and an unnamed Asian country.
Reports from Japan have linked him to a return to J.League 2 side Ventforet Kofu, where he coached in 2017.
His current contract with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), which was extended in February, runs until next December.
In the interview, he declined to commit to whether he would see out the contract, and said he "can't say anything about my future".
He added that he had not discussed the issue with the FAS nor made a decision yet, and could not "make any promises".
The 47-year-old was appointed Lions coach in May 2019.
He has a record of six wins, four draws and 10 losses from 20 matches.
Singapore entered the biennial Suzuki Cup — which they have won four times but the last was in 2012 — on the back of five straight defeats but rose above the poor run.
They finished second in their group behind Thailand and qualified for the semi-finals, after group-stage exits in the last three editions.
Singapore's next competition is June's third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification, with the draw in February.
Most of the players, including defender Shakir Hamzah who is recuperating from a serious knee injury and needed the aid of crutches to walk, attended the reception. The team's coaching and backroom staff were also present.
They were welcomed to the pitch by a guard of honour formed by Mr Tong and members of the FAS council.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdUTqvLYWHU[/embed]
In his address, Minister Tong thanked the team for inspiring a whole new generation of Singapore football fans by showing them the "power of possible".
"You have left a mark not just on the minds and heats of football fans, but of the average Singaporean," he said.
"Sports can do this like no other… You can't teach this. You can only see and experience this, and all of you have given us a lesson on what it means to play for each other… and to have team spirit."
Addressing the team and staff, FAS president Lim Kia Tong added: "I am immensely proud of you.
"Thank you for capping off (the) year by ushering in joy and hope not only for the next year but for years ahead.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.