After guiding the Lions to a historic Asian Cup qualification, Gavin Lee is set to be rewarded by the Football Association of Singapore.
The Straits Times reported that the 35-year-old, who steered the Singapore national team to the 24-team continental showpiece in Saudi Arabia in 2027 after taking charge of the last three qualifiers as interim head coach, has been offered the job on a permanent basis.
After three consecutive foreign hires, he will be the FAS’s first permanent local coach since V. Sundram Moorthy in 2016.
Sources told ST that Lee, who returned to Singapore on Nov 26 following a short break overseas after clinching the ticket to Riyadh with a 2-1 win over Hong Kong on Nov 18, has met with FAS officials and accepted the offer.
ST said an official announcement on the matter is imminent and that it is an 18-month contract.
Lee told ST at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Nov 27, just before a meeting with FAS officials where he is expected to sign his contract: “Nothing’s been signed yet, but to be even considered in the first place, it’s a privilege, something I’ve mentioned many times before, and ultimately, just like when I first started (as interim coach), all I want is the best for the national team and to continue the progress that I think we’ve made in the last few windows.
“Just like when I was a youth player, all you ever dreamed was to represent the national team and to put on that jersey. So now I can’t wear the jersey, but I can still represent the country, and so that ultimately is one of the biggest honours you can have in football, regardless of which country you come from. So personally, for me, it’s a lot of pride, a lot of satisfaction as well.
“I wouldn’t be here today if not for many, many people who were kind enough and generous enough to open doors for me, starting with my dad.
“Naturally, and obviously, I’ve been helped along the way. I’ve met coach Kadir (Yahaya), Harvey Davis (who runs the JSSL football school), (former Warriors coach) Alex Weaver, and, of course, (former BG Tampines Rovers chairman and current FAS deputy president) Desmond Ong, and not forgetting (FAS president) Forrest (Li) for giving me this opportunity to begin with. So without them, I wouldn’t be me today.
“My target? The same premise as when we first started is to give people a national team that they can be proud of, that they want to come and watch, they want to go and support. And that hasn’t changed.”
Lee’s first major assignment will be the 2026 Asean Championship, which will take place from July 24 to Aug 26.
As interim coach, he helped the Lions to two wins (both 2-1 over India and Hong Kong) and a draw (1-1 with India) in three competitive matches.
He has the honour of being the first coach to take the Lions to the Asian Cup on merit. The only other time Singapore took part in the continent’s football showpiece was when it was hosted here in 1984.
The Straits Times
