Gavin Lee to become Lions head coach, 1st local in last decade

Local football coach Gavin Lee, 35, is set to become the Lions' permanent head coach, reported local media.

Lee, who brought the Singapore national team to a historic Asian Cup qualification on Nov. 18, was previously interim head coach.

He will be the Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) first permanent local coach since 2016.

Historic win

Lee was appointed interim head coach after former head coach Tsutomu Ogura departed in June this year.

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) alumnus was previously head coach of the BG Tampines Rovers.

During the Asian Cup qualifier, he led the Lions to a 2-1 win against Hong Kong, sending Singapore to the Asian Cup on merit for the first time in its history.

This led to calls for him to be appointed permanent head coach, despite earlier rumours of the FAS courting another foreign talent.

Accepted offer

The interim head coach was offered the full-time role and has accepted the offer, CNA reported.

He is scheduled to sign the contract on Nov. 27.

An official announcement will follow the signing of the 18-month contract, according to The Straits Times.

"Nothing’s been signed yet, but to be even considered in the first place, it’s a privilege, something I’ve mentioned many times before.

And ultimately, just like when I first started (as interim coach), all I want is the best for the national team and to continue the progress that I think we’ve made in the last few windows," he said.

As part of his new role, he is expected to lead the Lions to the 2026 Asean Championship and the 2027 Asian Cup.

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Top image from Mothership and FAS/Singapore