Young Lions head coach Firdaus apologises to fans, praises team's effort after Timor-Leste SEA Games loss
"This is part of a journey of building for future campaigns," said the Young Lions head coach.
Singapore's Young Lions lost 3-1 to Timor-Leste in their SEA Games match at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Dec 6, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
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BANGKOK: Young Lions head coach Firdaus Kassim apologised to Singapore football fans after a 1-3 loss to Timor-Leste at the SEA Games on Saturday (Dec 6), which leaves them on the brink of elimination.
He praised his team's effort at the same time, saying they will look ahead to the next game.
Speaking at a post-match press conference at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Firdaus said the loss is "part of a journey of building for future campaigns".
“First and foremost, we have to apologise to the fans for the results. Of course, it’s not what the fans expect ... We really urge them to understand that this is a process, this is part of a journey of building for future campaigns," said the Singapore U-22 men's football team head coach.
As young players are given more exposure with game time, the outcome will be "a lot better" in future editions of the Games, he added.
"Nobody likes to lose, myself included, but I think this is (one of) the obstacles we have to go through in order to see success in the near future.â€
Firdaus' men led through Amir Syafiz, but were eventually sunk by a goals from Vabio Canavaro, Anizo Correia and Olagar Xavier.
After the blast of the full-time whistle, some of the Young Lions collapsed to the ground, while others were in tears.
"We started with a goal and we didn't build on it," said Firdaus, who pointed out that his side conceded three "very easy goals".
"It became very difficult for us in the second half, we had to take more risks. We had some very good chances which we should have converted, we didn't take it. But all in all, I'm very happy with the effort of the players. It's all about (recuperating) for the next game."
The next game for the Young Lions would be a tough one. On Dec 11, they face hosts Thailand, which have already thrashed Timor-Leste 6-1 in their opening game on Wednesday.
The three countries were drawn in Group A following Cambodia’s withdrawal from the competition.
Singapore’s U-22 men’s football team have fared poorly at the Games in the past editions.
The team last qualified for the semi-finals in 2013. Since then, they have been eliminated from the group stage in the next five Games.
At the last edition of the tournament, the Young Lions suffered a 0-7 drubbing at the hands of Malaysia. That was Singapore's heaviest defeat at the SEA Games.
Earlier this year, the Young Lions were left out of the provisional list for the Games. But the team appealed successfully, playing out two closed-door friendlies, with a win and a draw, to strengthen the case for their inclusion.
They have yet to win a competitive game since Firdaus' appointment in June.
“It’s a very, very painful result in the manner that we (lost) the game. With this format, what we can do now is just to focus on the next game," said Firdaus.
"Things are getting a lot more difficult for us now to even think about qualification, so what's more important now is to just look at the next game and see (and) try to get the best possible outcome for us."
