Why state media omits FAS top management accountability for failures?

On Monday (29 Jan), the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced the removal of Takayuki Nishigaya (西谷隆之) from his position as head coach of the Singapore men’s national football team.

In a media statement, FAS said the decision to part ways with 50-year-old Mr Nishigaya, appointed less than two years ago, was made “after careful consideration.”

FAS expressed dissatisfaction with the national team’s recent performance and results, stating they were “below expectations.”

FAS emphasised the need for an early transition to a new successor to revitalize the team and provide ample time for preparation for upcoming crucial matches and the year-end AFF tournament.

Singapore’s mainstream media strangely omits accountability of FAS top management

The news has been widely covered by Singapore’s mainstream media, echoing the sentiments of the FAS and placing the blame squarely on Mr Nishigaya for the performance of Singapore’s national team.

Upon reviewing the mainstream media (MSM) reports, such as that by The Straits Times, it was stated that Mr Nishigaya’s departure “does not come as a surprise, given the discontent among fans and some players.”

CNA characterized Mr Nishigaya’s tenure as a “turbulent reign,” emphasizing his struggles to win over both fans and the broader public.

The report also highlighted the emergence of the hashtag #Nishigayaout on Instagram and TikTok.

Calls for overhauling FAS leadership beyond the coach

However, upon examining online community sentiments, it becomes evident that the MSM narrative departs from the majority sentiments, strangely failing to acknowledge accountability within the FAS top management.

The online community has expressed a desire for reform in Singapore football that goes beyond the coach. There is a pronounced emphasis on the need for changes in the entire FAS team management.

There are also opinions surfaced asserting that blaming Mr Nishigaya is unjust, with some suggesting that the decision by FAS to part ways with him merely serves as a scapegoat for the top management, attempting to salvage face amidst ongoing failures.

In a recent article, TMSG,  Singapore’s sports and lifestyle blog asserted that vilifying Mr Nishigaya is misguided.

While acknowledging his responsibility for the Lions’ inability to succeed, the article contended that the real failure lies with the leadership of the FAS.

The piece raised a crucial question about the lack of transparency surrounding Mr Nishigaya’s hiring, despite he had no experience of having led a national team, couldn’t speak English and had not coached outside of Japan.

“The decision-makers who agreed to take him are the ones who need to be vilified. And that is the leadership of the FAS, ” the article mentioned.

Furthermore, the article called attention to the role of the 37 ordinary members of the FAS, who are voting members and have the constitutional power to remove the leadership.

It encouraged these affiliates to take action and not remain silent in the face of what is perceived as the destruction of Singapore football.

Then-FAS president welcomed Mr Nishigaya as “best candidate” to lead the national team

In April 2022, Mr Lim in a press statement, welcomed Mr Nishigaya as Lions Head Coach, stating, “We are delighted to have Nishigaya on board after a rigorous recruitment process.”

“We knew that Tatsuma had left some big shoes to fill, and it was imperative that we found the best candidate who had the required character and attributes to succeed him. ”

“We believe that Nishigaya is exactly that and we are confident he can take on the challenge of continuing to make our Lions roar.”

Mr Nishigaya’s tenure as Lions coach ends with eight wins, eight losses and five draws in 21 matches.

A particular low point of his spell was in January 2023, when the Lions were trounced 4-1 by Malaysia before a meek exit in the group stage of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship.

In their final group game at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia on 11 May 2023, Singapore’s football team suffered a crushing 7-0 defeat against Malaysia.

This defeat marked Singapore’s most significant loss since the previous edition, where they lost 0-5 to Thailand. It was also the first time since 1987 that the under-22 football team finished the tournament at the bottom of the group with zero wins.

As the governing body of local football, the FAS was lambasted with criticism over the national team’s performance.

Edwin Tong: Singapore Govt dedicated to uplifting standards of Singapore football

In a July 2023 Parliamentary sitting, Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), stated that the government is dedicated to uplifting the standards of Singapore football.

However, Mr Tong, formerly vice-president of FAS from 2013 to 2020, cautioned that significant improvements should not be expected immediately, as this will be a “long-term endeavour that will require collective action from many stakeholders”.

“I am pleased to share that there is steady progress on the Unleash the Roar!” (UTR!) project. Earlier this year, we shared with Members of the House on the progress of our School Football Academies (SFAs) and our partnership with Spain’s LaLiga Academy to provide overseas training opportunities. ”

Mr Tong added that Singapore also set out concrete measures to uplift Singapore football in the longer-term:

• First, establish a national framework to systematically select and develop the best players from the broad base of participation that we have from the SFAs, the Singapore Sports School, ActiveSG Football Academy as well as private clubs and academies;
• Second, set up a national football development centre as the main training centre to develop more structured opportunities for training and competition for those who aspire to be selected and represent Singapore in the national teams;
• Third, progressively roll out training on talent identification for coaches, and strengthen the scouts’ capabilities in identifying the best of our young footballers;
• and Fourth, launch the inaugural UTR! scholarship to provide promising footballers the best environment to train and compete, alongside their academic pursuits. The scholarships will be launched later this year.

Considering FAS’s performance in recent years, it is unclear why Mr Tong and the government persist in supporting the current FAS management, led by its president, Bernard Tan.