SINGAPORE: The Singapore national football team’s ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup campaign may have ended in a heartbreak, but head coach Tsutomu Ogura and captain Hariss Harun are rallying their troops, urging the Lions to use the pain of defeat as fuel for their next challenge.

Ogura’s impassioned speech to his players in the dressing room after their semi-final loss to Vietnam was a testament to his team’s never-say-die spirit.

“Today, the feeling is very painful. Everyone’s face is really sad. For me, it’s also the same. But this feeling, when you go back to each of your own teams… this same feeling will fuel you for revenge. This is also a form of recovery,” said head coach Ogura with the players.

Singapore national team captain Hariss Harun. (Photo credit: Football Association of Singapore)

Ogura’s words were echoed by captain Hariss, who took to social media to express his pride and gratitude to his teammates.

“In the end, it was a bittersweet feeling ending the tournament the way we did,” he wrote. “However, I am so proud of the way the team fought on and grew over the course of the tournament,” he added.

Singapore finished second place in Group A with seven points, five points behind group leaders Thailand, to advance to the semi-finals stage. This was their first knockout round appearance since the 2021 edition.

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