Young Lions coach apologises for 'underwhelming' 2025 SEA Games, says he will take 'responsibility & ownership'

Young Lions head coach Firdaus Kassim has apologised for Singapore’s "underwhelming" campaign at the 33rd SEA Games.

Speaking at the Football Association of Singapore’s (FAS) post-SEA Games review on Dec. 26, Firdaus said he would take responsibility for the team's performance, which saw the Under-22 side exit the tournament at the group stage for a sixth consecutive edition.

"I would like to apologise not just to the media, but also to all the fans and the entire country," he said. "It has been an underwhelming SEA Games campaign, and we will not run from the fact."

Singapore’s early exit was confirmed after a 3-0 loss to host nation Thailand, five days after a 3-1 defeat by Timor-Leste.

When asked if he would be stepping down, Firdaus said the role remained a privilege.

"I really believe in the work that I’m doing... I’m very committed to this project," he said, adding that any decision would ultimately be up to the management.

Response to SNOC sec-gen Mark Chay's remarks

The men’s campaign came under further scrutiny following comments by Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) secretary-general Mark Chay, who said at a wrap-up press conference on Dec. 20 that the Young Lions’ struggles reflected deeper, systemic issues.

Referring to the 3-1 defeat to Timor-Leste, Chay said the players were "outmuscled, outpaced and outlasted", and added that the shortcomings were not related to a lack of "talent or skill".

Chay also raised concerns regarding the team's attitude.

"The athletes just walked off the field, didn't even acknowledge the crowd," he said.

Responding to the comments, FAS General Secretary Badri Ghent said he was "taken by surprise" by the comments and had met Chay in private earlier this week to address them.

He stated that he was present at the game, and that he and the parents and supporters who were there could vouch for the fact that the players acknowledged their fans, adding that sportsmanship is a "foundation" and "non-negotiable trait" at FAS.

"In my discussions with Mark, we’ve attributed it to a situation whereby he had vacated his seat post-match and he did not see the team acknowledging the fans."

Badri said the two also discussed the broader "systemic problem" highlighted by Chay.

"In my discussions with Mark, there seemed to be some underlying issues between FAS and SNOC, but a lot of it stemmed from administrative elements," Badri said.

He added that the conversation was focused on moving forward.

"Mark and I were more interested in looking towards the future".

Badri said Chay clarified some of his points and that they "left the meeting feeling positive".

He also said Chay’s remarks were made "from a position of care and concern", and that FAS looks forward to working closely with SNOC moving forward.

Poured in resources to ensure the team was ready

FAS vice-president Tan Li Yu said the council, which took office on Apr. 28, had inherited a challenging situation.

"There had not been a single international match arranged for the Under-22s since the last SEA Games," he said, candidly.

As a result, FAS implemented a six-month preparation programme aimed at providing the team with greater international exposure, and also pulled together a strong team of coaching staff.

"In terms of preparing the team, I think we can say that we really put in a lot of effort, and poured in resources to ensure that the team is as well prepared as possible," Tan said.

Despite this, he acknowledged that the team's performance "was not good enough".

He added that expectations could have been communicated earlier and stressed that the association remains open to feedback.

"We embrace feedback," he said, while pointing to the team’s youth and potential for future development.

Separately, FAS council member Yeong Sheau Shyan, speaking on behalf of the women’s team and head coach Karim Bencherifa, said the association remained proud of their efforts.

“The SEA Games gave our girls the opportunity to test [themselves] against opponents at a higher level and benchmark our progress against opponents in the region,” she said.

The women’s team, the Lionesses, also exited at the group stage at this year’s SEA Games after losing 2-0 to Thailand and 3-1 to Indonesia.

Future of both head coaches

When asked about the future of both Firdaus and Karim, Badri was non-committal.

"When it comes to major decisions, including coach performance, it’s something that we look at objectively and holistically," he said. "We will have further deliberations moving forward."

Singapore's overall performance at the SEA Games

Team Singapore's performance at the 2025 SEA Games was its third-best away SEA Games performance.

The team finished the Games with 52 gold, 61 silver and 89 bronze medals, earning them fifth place overall among the 10 nations.

Almost 60 per cent of the 926 athletes fielded were SEA Games debutants.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mothership (@mothershipsg)

Top photos via Mothership and FAS