Perhaps out of shame and disappointment accumulated under pressure of performing well on home ground, Young Lions head coach Aide Iskandar called it quits after Singapore crashed out of the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games yesterday after a 1-0 loss to Indonesia.
The match at the National Stadium yesterday night saw Indonesian wonderkid Evan Dimas Darmono score with a stunning shot from inside the penalty box right at the 47th minute. Though the Singapore team pushed forward, their efforts were repeatedly thwarted by the Indonesian defence, and things took a darker turn when Young Lions right back Ho Wai Loon received his second yellow card and was sent off.
The final whistle signalled the disappointing end of Singapore’s dreams of getting the gold medal in the 28th SEA Games. As if crashing out of the football tournament entirely wasn’t enough of a shocker, the team’s head coach announced in the post-match press conference that he has stepped down.
“I have just resigned and I have informed the players that the journey still has to go on for them,” he informed reporters. “I appreciate all the support, even though some sections of fans were abusing us, some fans thanked the players during the game and even after the game. We showed a lot of unity and solidarity.”
The Young Lions themselves were reportedly devastated by both their own performance as well as the fact that Aide Iskandar — a former national team captain himself — was taking the blame for everything.
