SINGAPORE – Former Singapore international footballer V. Sundramoorthy is now the head coach of Singapore’s national team, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced on Friday (May 27).
His one-year contract will cover the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup happening in November and the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers in March 2017, Channel NewsAsia reported.
This is the first time a Singaporean has taken over the reins of the national team’s top job in 16 years. The last Singaporean national team coach was Vincent Subramaniam, from 1998 to 2000.
Singaporean P. N. Sivaji was an interim coach from for six months in 2003.
Sundram’s appointment comes in the wake of German Bernd Stange’s departure on March 29. Stange clocked 15 wins, four draws and 16 losses during the three years he was in charge.
Released from his current job as the head coach of S-League club Tampines Rovers, Sundram was previously coaching Malaysia Super League side Negeri Sembilan in 2014.
From 2011 to 2013, Sundram coached the LionsXII, where he tasted success by winning the Malaysian Super League in 2013. He was also concurrently the head coach of Singapore’s Under-23 team then.
Sundram is not a new face with the National team. In 2013, he assumed the role of caretaker coach after Raddy Avramovic stepped down, where his team was drubbed 4-0 by Jordan at the AFCAsian Cup 2015 qualifying match.
Being earning his managerial credentials, Sundram was the second Singaporean after Fandi Ahmad to play in Europe, featuring in Switzerland’s FC Basel’s team from 1988-1989.
grongloh@sph.com.sg
The Straits Times, The New Paper, Berita Harian
