Head coach Richard Tardy has set a semi-final target for Singapore U-23 football team for the next month’s SEA Games in Malaysia.
In a media conference after a 1-0 victory in a friendly game against the India U-23s on Monday, Tardy implored Singapore fans to be patient with the Young Lions in the build-up to August’s SEA Games.
“For the SEA Games, we want to be in the last four. It is going to be difficult … I don’t say that it is going to be easy,” said the Frenchman, as quoted by The Straits Times.
Although Singapore has been drawn into the same group with hosts Malaysia, Myanmar, Brunei and Laos, Tardy has denied that his team were in an “easy group”.
“When people talk about an easy group, you put pressure on the players. When it’s easy, people say they must qualify, but the players don’t think it’s easy,” he said.
Despite being crowned with four AFF Suzuki Cup trophies, Singapore has never clinched a gold medal for football in the SEA Games.
In the most recent tournament two years ago, which was held in the home country, the Singapore football team even failed to qualify past the group stage.