The FAS elections were a no contest and Forrest Li and his team went on to win unopposed. One of the team members is Syed Faris, a long-time childhood friend and also leader of the Singa Brigade. I wish them all the best and hopefully we will bring Singapore football forward.
During my active involvement in Singapore football during the LionsXII era, I was requested to represent the GMK who sat behind the Away team bench and helped turn Jalan Besar Stadium into a fortress with our massive banners that helped strike fear in our opponents. I've always had a passion for Singapore football and always tried to figure out how we could do better as a nation.
Over the years, I’ve come to believe that the problems in Singapore football aren’t just tactical — they’re deeply systemic. Like any failing ecosystem, we must interrogate the foundations. What are the principles behind sustained football success? And why have we, a country with deep football heritage, drifted so far from them?
The root causes lie in outdated governance structures, weak performance incentives, siloed stakeholders, and a disconnect between grassroots and elite development. If I were tasked with steering the Football Association of Singapore, here is how I would fundamentally restructure our football ecosystem — from youth development to national team aspirations.
Ground Zero: Youth Development Must Be Our National Strategy
No country in the world has built a world-class football system without a deep, structured investment in youth. Unfortunately, Singapore has treated youth football as a co-curricular activity rather than a talent pipeline.
The Singapore Youth League is a fantastic endeavour, but we need a closer collaboration with the MOE to ensure all student athletes have a secure future even if they decide not to play pro football later in life.
We must move towards a federated youth development model where each SPL club owns and operates a comprehensive youth academy. This academy would begin at the U8 level and go all the way up to U21. Currently, not all SPL clubs have players at all these levels. Clubs would work in partnership with ActiveSG for coaching and infrastructure, and with local MOE schools for academic support. In turn, these schools will identify as affiliate schools to each club.
This creates vertical mobility. A player at Tampines Secondary School who plays for the BG Tampines Rovers youth team has a direct, visible pathway to SPL and beyond. The player will represent his school for the National Sports Games, but the school must adopt the club's branding and play as Tampines Secondary Rovers, so that the school community can also identify with the club. If a player moves schools to one that is not an affiliate of the club, the player must also transfer to the new club provided both clubs agree to the move.
For post-secondary youth, we will introduce a Varsity League encompassing universities, polytechnics, and private education institutes. Clubs will support promising tertiary students by funding their education in exchange for 3–4 year professional contracts.
For young men in National Service, the system must also adapt. Players contracted to clubs will receive NS allowances or their club salaries — whichever is higher — and MINDEF and MHA will compensate clubs for the 2-year development delay. In their final 6 months, these players will rejoin club training to restore match fitness and participate in SPL fixtures where feasible.
The Young Lions Experiment Has Run Its Course
Created as a fast-track for U-23 players into elite competition, the Young Lions have instead become a stagnant vehicle with no clear club identity, low fan affinity, and negligible player progression.
This model must be retired. Every SPL club will now field an U-23 team, closely integrated into their senior squad structure. The SPL first team can register up to 10 of their best U-23 players to allow U-23 players the possibility of first team action. This needs to be part of the SPL first team roster of up to 30 players.
The U23 players will regularly participate in an SPL2 league that allows the U23 players to compete regularly that closely resembles first team football. To do that, reserve first team players, and regular first team players undergoing injury rehabilitation or match fitness programmes may be allowed to participate in SPL2 games of up to 3 over-23 players per game. This will simulate SEA Games, Asian Games and Olympics formats, and serve as a seamless bridge into the professional game.
These youth teams will compete in a restructured FA Cup, together with SFL2 and IWL clubs. True development happens in environments of consistency and identity — not artificially assembled squads.
Privatisation: Turning Clubs Into Institutions of Excellence
The SPL appears to be a professional league but is really semi-professional in nature and has led to semi-professional outcomes. Clubs currently operate as societies with limited commercial ambition where most of their funding come from FAS grants. That must end.
Under my proposal, all SPL clubs will be fully privatised. Ownership must be majority private sector, and encouraged but not mandatory to have at least 25% owned by a community or supporter's foundation. This structure fosters both commercial discipline and civic identity.
To ensure quality over quantity, the league will be streamlined to 8 clubs and up to a maximum of 10, each backed by proven investors:
- Albirex Niigata Clementi – Owned by Albirex Niigata (Japan), based in Jurong East and later to Clementi (West)
- Geylang City International – Renamed and owned by City Football Group with partners Yokohama F. Marinos, Melbourne City, Mumbai City and Nissan, based in ITE East and later Bedok Stadium (East)
- BG Tampines Rovers – Owned by BG Sport Co., Ltd with technical support from Cerezo Osaka, based in Our Tampines Hub (East)
- Sembawang Pirates – Owned by Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), based in Yishun Stadium (North)
- Canberra Wallabies – Owned by Peligra Group, owners of Perth Glory, based in Woodlands (North)
- Mattar Lion City Sailors – Owned by SEA Group, based in Jalan Besar Stadium or a new Bishan Stadium (Central)
- Balestier Khalsa – Owned by GIC, Thakral Group and Project Vaults, with 25% community ownership, based in the upcoming Toa Payoh Stadium (Central)
- Jurong City FC – Owned by Temasek and JTC, with 25% community ownership, based in Jurong West Stadium (West)
In this scenario, I have omitted Hougang United and Tanjong Pagar United to fit my proposed geographic distribution. As these clubs were the worst performing in the SPL in the last season, it seemed necessary that they needed greater reform.
Therefore, my suggestion would be to make these clubs go the way of Home United into the Lion City Sailors. A complete takeover and reset.
Hougang United will be acquired and rebranded under JDT’s ownership. Tanjong Pagar will be acquired by both Temasek and JTC and transformed into Jurong City FC.
It is possible for Sembawang Pirates and Jurong City to be completely new clubs without any takeovers of these existing clubs and allow the revamp to have 10 clubs and I'm not opposed to it. But in land scarce Singapore, and a small population with too many distractions, we need to be pragmatic and diligent for this reset to be successful.
A Real Football Pyramid With Promotion and Relegation
Singapore football lacks tension and stakes. Without the threat of relegation or the dream of promotion, competitive hunger evaporates. We will correct this by introducing a tiered promotion-relegation system.
- Singapore Premier League (SPL): 8 teams, with the bottom team facing relegation unless the SFL1 champion fails licensing. Top 2 teams qualify for ACLE and ACL2.
- Singapore Football League 1 (SFL1): Champions get the opportunity for promotion to SPL conditional on submitting and passing professional licensing criteria; bottom two teams relegated
- SFL2: Two teams promoted to SFL1, bottom two relegated
- IWL: Structured as a pyramid for grassroots football with two-up, two-down promotion and relegation. Bottom two teams may be relegated to FAS Associate Member leagues like the X-League or other private leagues, provided the champions of these leagues apply for FAS Ordinary Membership and accreditation to ensure their seriousness to compete in the upper pyramids of local football.
Crucially, affiliate clubs cannot be promoted into the SPL. If a club’s affiliate wins SFL1, the last-placed SPL team remains. This ensures integrity while protecting talent pipelines.
Aspiring SPL clubs from SFL1 must therefore have a plan ready with Integrated Developments identified to be built or to be taken over from a struggling SPL club, ensuring financial sustainability.
Reimagining Cup Competitions and Regional Ties
We will also reform our cup tournaments:
- Singapore Cup: Includes all 8 SPL clubs and SFL1 clubs. Group stages followed by knockout rounds. Winner qualifies for the Malaysia Cup, restoring a historic cross-border rivalry without sacrificing the national interests of both countries. The Malaysia Cup is the oldest football tournament in Asia and historic significance to Singapore. However, there is also no continental reward for the Malaysia Cup champions thus reducing the impact of league co-efficients on both countries. This reform will allow a section of our population to come to the stands to support a local club in cross-border rivalry uniting a nation behind a club - a flywheel effect, which will later get the neutrals interested in local football. With Brunei DPMM leaving the SPL to join the MSL, this route to the Malaysia Cup will help SPL clubs get more spectators, and strengthen local football without hurting our local league.
- FA Cup: Includes all U-23 teams, SFL2, IWL clubs, FAS Associated Member teams and leagues. For example, the Social Football X-League Division 1 champions are granted a first round berth in the FA Cup. This serves as an early development arena and get the community invested in the local football pyramid.
Continental representation follows merit:
- ACLE: SPL Champion
- ACL2: SPL Runner-up
Previously, we would reward SPL Champions and Singapore Cup champions with ACLE and ACL2. I suggest that only the league results should matter for continental representation.
This ecosystem provides multiple goals — survival, qualification, national pride — creating year-round excitement.
Pay Players Fairly, Sustain Clubs Wisely
To ensure fairness and financial prudence, the league will adopt a transparent salary framework:
- Minimum over-23 first team local salary: SGD 5,000/month
- U-23 apprentices: SGD 2,500/month + SGD 2,500 match bonus if they play 45+ mins in an SPL game but not an SPL2 game, creating an incentive to be one of the best 10 U-23 players to be registered in the first team.
- Local salary cap: SGD 20,000/month
- Foreigners: No cap if approved by league after fiscal review
Further to this, all clubs must have a stadium with a minimum capacity of 8,000 and recommended capacity of 10,000 allowing stadiums to be ACL ready and our country to host continental football tournaments easily. These stadiums should follow the Integrated Development model similar to OTH and Kallang but the government must lease out the properties to clubs so that they can generate revenue from these properties.
Stadiums will adopt a Public-Private Lease Model. Clubs will lease and operate stadiums like mixed-use assets, generating revenue through:
- Retail shop leases
- Event space rentals
- Stadium tours
- VIP Boxes
- Club Membership with various packages
- Season Individual BOGO (Buy 1 Gift 1)
- Season Family (up to 6 season tickets)
- Season VIP (use of the VIP box for corporates)
- Match Day Standard Pass - Instead of getting tickets for all games, you get a match day pass which allows you to redeem up to 5 gallery tickets throughout the season, and watch all their own club games online.
- Match Day Grandstand Pass - Instead of getting tickets for all games, you get a match day pass which allows you to redeem up to 5 grandstand tickets throughout the season, and watch all their own club games online.
- Match Day VIP Pass - Instead of getting tickets for all games, you get a match day pass which allows you to redeem up to 5 grandstand tickets throughout the season, and watch all their own club games online, and get the same benefits as VIPs on the 5 match days.
- SPL Fan Matchday Pass - For the neutrals who don’t really support any particular team. This allows them to catch any 5 games in any stadium throughout the season as a trial for them to checkout the games. They need to redeem tickets with their pass. They can also watch all SPL games online.
- Advertising rights
Revenue targets: Each club must target at least 70% stadium utilisation (average 7,000 fans for a 10,000-seater stadium), and generate SGD 2 million in surplus annually to be considered sustainable.
Building Corridors to Stronger Leagues
Our clubs must become springboards to top leagues in Asia and Europe. Through affiliations with clubs in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia, we will enable two-way player movement:
- Outbound: Talented players like Ilhan Fandi can move to clubs like KMSK Deinze (Belgium) through Albirex’s ownership
- Inbound: Promising foreign talents from partner clubs like Yokohama F. Marinos or Melbourne City can join SPL clubs to gain match experience
This flow benefits everyone: players develop, clubs earn transfer fees, and fans enjoy higher quality football.
ASEAN Nations League: Uplifting a Region Through Football
Finally, at the national level, we must anchor Singapore’s regional ambition through a properly structured ASEAN Nations League. Like UEFA’s Nations League, this competition would:
- Feature 2–3 divisions with promotion and relegation
- Be played entirely on FIFA-sanctioned international windows
- Include all 12 AFF member nations, with Australia strongly encouraged to join
Sponsorship will come from regional airlines — Scoot, AirAsia, Batik Air, VietJet — offering title sponsorship in rotation and subsidising travel costs. This not only boosts exposure, but also positions ASEAN as a rising football zone.
Then we can talk about the World Cup
Singapore football can no longer afford minor tweaks. We need systems change — one built on accountability, professionalism, and community identity. With structural reform and a commitment to excellence, we can once again build a footballing culture that inspires the nation.
Our goal should not be to recreate the past. It is to build something far more resilient and future-ready. And I believe we can — if we have the courage to start anew.
For that, we need to walk before we can run. Talk about our ambitions for 2010, then 2034 World Cup is frankly unnecessary. We are nowhere near the levels of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Japan and Korea to think we have a realistic chance in another 10 years. We haven't even consistently reached the Asian Cup yet.
But once we reset, and the league gets stronger, and our best players get their opportunities abroad, and we start getting consistent results against Asia’s best, then we can focus our efforts on World Cup qualification.
Because if our league is sustainable, pays well, gives a good atmosphere, and of a good standard, then our foreign-born heritage players won’t think twice about playing for Singapore. Then they can readily give up the citizenship of their birth for the citizenship of their ancestors.