END 26-YR WINLESS STREAK: OGURA

Lions coach says 'history is there to be changed and made' in tough s-final against Vietnam

- David Lee

When told by The Straits Times that Singapore have not beaten Vietnam in a senior international football match since the 1998 Tiger Cup final, Lions coach Tsutomu Ogura's face lit up.

His charges will take on world No. 114 Vietnam in the first leg of their Asean Championship semi-final at Jalan Besar Stadium on Dec 26, before the away leg in Phu Tho's Viet Tri Stadium on Dec 29.

As the away-goals rule does not apply in this tournament, if the 160th-ranked Lions are to qualify for a fifth Asean Championship final, they will likely have to end their 14-match winless streak against the Golden Star Warriors.

Instead of fear or apprehension, Ogura had the look of an expert decoder relishing the opportunity to crack another tough puzzle, as he smiled and remarked: "Twenty-six years, no win?"

The 58-year-old has tasted the joy of helping his former teams Tokyo Verdy and Yokohama F. Marinos end a 15-year wait to earn promotion to the top tier and win the J1 League respectively, and urged the Lions to create their own slice of history.

Ogura added: "It is very interesting, and for me, history is there to be changed and made."

On paper, this encounter seems like a mismatch and no-contest.