Singapore’s German coach Bernd Stange has confirmed he will be stepping down after a lackluster stint that leaves the soccer-mad city-state 148th in the world rankings.
The 68-year-old said the World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan next week is to be his last game in charge, local media reported yesterday.
East Germany-born Stange was brought in by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) in 2013 to replace Serbian Raddy Avramovic, who resigned after leading Singapore to three championships in the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2004, 2007 and 2012.
“As you know, now I asked the FAS in January not to plan with me after the Afghanistan match,” Stange told journalists ahead of a friendly against Myanmar yesterday.
The Lions are to travel to Tehran for the clash against Afghanistan on Tuesday. After his appointment, Stange was criticized for favoring younger players and forcing the Southeast Asian minnows to adopt a fast-paced passing game to limited effect.
Singapore crashed out in the group stage when they hosted the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2014.
The team’s performance in the World Cup qualifiers has also come under scrutiny, taking 10 points from a possible 21.
The Straits Times said Stange’s record now stands at 14 wins, four draws and 15 losses.
Despite failing to win over the Singaporean soccer community, Stange defended his record.
“Results are crucial, world ranking is crucial, but don’t forget we have a local team. We don’t have any foreign-grown players,” the Straits Times quoted him as saying.
“I [will not] allow anybody to be too negative about our performances,” Stange said.
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