Football Association of Singapore’s VP Says World Cup 2034 Is “Realistic”
Back in 2001, ESM Goh Chok Tong delivered a speech at the launch of the new Tiger Beer sponsorship for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS). He announced that the FAS had taken up his challenge of bringing the team to the World Cup by 2010.
The ambitious endeavour was named Goal 2010. Unfortunately in 2010, Singapore lost to the Saudis in the World Cup qualifiers and Goal 2010 was no more.
This year, the ambition is renewed. Senior Minister of State for Health and Law, as well as Vice President of FAS, Edwin Tong, told The Straits Times in an interview that he has hopes for The Lions to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2034.
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2034 World Cup a 'realistic' goal for Singapore football, says FAS VP Edwin Tong
Singapore's men's side are currently ranked 162nd in the world. (Photo: Matthew Mohan)
Qualification for the FIFA World Cup in 2034 would be a "realistic" goal for Singapore, Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Vice-President Edwin Tong said in an interview with the Straits Times published on Sunday (Aug 18).
"We've always wanted to be somewhere on the world stage, so we need to start," said Mr Tong, who is also the Senior Minister of State for Health and Law.
"2034 is 15 years away ... so you're looking at boys today who are maybe eight, nine to 14, 15 and if you can cultivate the programme that has that endgame in mind, it will do us a lot of good," he said, according to the Straits Times.
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2034 World Cup a realistic goal: FAS
Goal 2034 will be used to "focus and shape everything" that the FAS and its stakeholders do, and grassroots football, youth development, infrastructure and schools will be key.
Nearly a decade after Goal 2010, the ambitious plan to qualify Singapore's national football team for the World Cup, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is reviving its hopes of competing in the showcase tournament in 2034.
Speaking exclusively to The Straits Times on Saturday, FAS vice-president Edwin Tong said that it is a "realistic" goal for the Lions to achieve in 15 years' time.
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2034 World Cup a ‘realistic’ goal for S’pore football: FAS VP Edwin Tong
Singapore, ranked 162 on Fifa world rankings, wants to qualify for the 2034 World Cup
It would be a “realistic” goal for Singapore, Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Vice-President Edwin Tong said in an interview with The Straits Times published on Sunday, Aug. 18.
“We’ve always wanted to be somewhere on the world stage, so we need to start,” said Tong, who is also the Senior Minister of State for Health and Law.
And the plan to get there starts today. Tong said: “2034 is 15 years away… so you’re looking at boys today who are maybe eight, nine to 14, 15 and if you can cultivate the programme that has that endgame in mind, it will do us a lot of good.”
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Singapore Now Aims to Qualify for World Cup 2034
Remember Goal 2010? It was Singapore’s target to qualify for the World Cup finals in 2010, and we kind of failed miserably.
Now, Singapore is setting a new target, because a goal without a deadline is merely a dream: the new deadline is 2034, a good 15 years away. Other than trying our best, there are also some changes to the World Cup format: from 2026, the number of teams in the finals would be 48 instead of 32, with the number of Asian countries doubled.
So, can we finally watch the World Cup for free, since our qualification would have surely brought in a sponsor to buy the TV licence for us? Let’s wait.
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FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking
CURRENT FIFA WORLD RANKING -162
Ranking History - LAST UPDATED 25 JUL 2019
After a long period testing and analysing the best way to calculate the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, a new model took effect in August 2018 after approval by the FIFA Council. Find out how the rankings are determined.
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Goal 2010
A little more than two years ago, I mentioned that Singapore should aim to qualify for the World Cup finals. I am pleased that the FAS has taken up my challenge, and set itself a bold and ambitious target of doing so by 2010.
It will be difficult, but not impossible, to achieve this target. It is worth a try. Every country, regardless of population size, dreams of making it to the finals. Singapore is no exception. Qualifying for the World Cup will be a fabulous achievement. Getting there itself will be an event Singaporeans will look forward to cheering for, and agonizing over.
Even if we do not succeed in 2010, in the process, we will raise the standard of the game in Singapore. And we can try again in 2014. Eventually, we will get there. Goal 2010 deserves our support.
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S’pore had an insane target called Goal 2010. It was tragic
Every four years, Singaporeans will be reminded of this impossible goal:
This also means it has been 20 years since then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong started talking up the national dream of qualifying for the Fifa World Cup one day.
Goh said in his 1998 National Day Rally speech:
“Last year I told you Singapore would never have a chance in the World Cup, because the rules require all players to be citizens. But after watching the French victory, I have changed my mind. Maybe if we change our immigration criteria to bring in top football talent and make them citizens, then one day we too can get into the finals. In fact we intend to do just this, to bring in sports talent.”read more
Remember Goal 2010, Singapore’s dream of going to next year’s World Cup?
Some national dreams were fulfilled after the World Cup playoffs last night. Algeria got revenge over Egypt, the French handed themselves a spot in South Africa courtesy of Thierry Henry, and Portugal qualified to ensure that the World Cup finals are not bereft of the world’s most expensive player in Cristiano Ronaldo.
At one time, Singapore also had the same dream. It was “GOAL 2010: Singapore at the World Cup”. Yes, yes, quite laughable, you say. Dream on, you say. But it was an ambitious, provocative and even seductive dream given national consciousness because it was articulated by no less than the prime minister of the day, Mr Goh Chok Tong, in 1998.
In his 1998 National Day Rally speech, PM Goh, inspired by the French victory in 1996 with a group of players led by Zinedine Zidane who is of Algerian extraction, said:
- “Last year I told you Singapore would never have a chance in the World Cup, because the rules require all players to be citizens. But after watching the French victory, I have changed my mind.
- “Maybe if we change our immigration criteria to bring in top football talent and make them citizens, then one day we too can get into the finals. In fact we intend to do just this, to bring in sports talent.”
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What Happened to Goal 2010?
Let’s not kid ourselves, Goal 2010 was a disaster
Former National Footballer Sasi Kumar was right when he compared being the best in the ASEAN region the same as being the best in the 'Kampung'. Beyond South East Asia, Singapore has yet to produce on the Asian stage much less the World stage. It seems that despite our reign in regional competitions like the Suzuki Cup or the Sea Games, we don’t seem to be able to make much of an impact anywhere else.
Being a football fan and weekend footballer, I can tell you that the game is more than just exercise or a sport to me. I would love to be able to support my home nation, but honestly there just isn’t much to cheer about anymore. I’ve seen the commercials and the media calls to support the S-League, apparently a top-10 league in Asia but there just isn’t enough in it for me to want to watch it.
Sasi Kumar summed it up brilliantly with his quote and it seems like we no longer have the dreams and aspirations despite having a better infrastructure and better training facilities than our neighbours. We boast a terrific new Sports Hub and have a good youth set up with no lack of enthusiasm from young footballers. Somehow despite that we still fail in the final third. Sasi spoke of youth talents like Fandi’s sons who receive their football education in Chile and Brian Neubronner who does the same in Germany, and as promising as all that sounds for our local footballers, it doesn’t improve the standard of our local league.
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Why is S'pore so far from World Cup goal?
Iceland qualifying for the World Cup finals in Russia next year is a fantastic achievement for a small country with a population of just around 350,000 (Tiny Iceland make history, but Reykjaviktory is no fluke; Oct 11).
In the late 1990s, the Singapore football authorities set a goal to get a team to the World Cup finals by 2010.
Now, not only are we disappointingly far from this target, but the standard of Singapore football also has not improved after all these years. The Singapore team is currently ranked 162 by Fifa, way below its highest ranking of 75 in 1993.
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