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Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Former Tottenham assistant coach Nick Montgomery in Singapore for talks to fill Lions coach role
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Nick Montgomery is in town for talks with the FAS and was spotted at Beach Road on Aug 14. SINGAPORE – The race to appoint a new Lions coach is heating up, with former Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach Nick Montgomery one of two candidates in town for discussions with Singapore football officials. On Aug 14, Montgomery was spotted by The Straits Times near a hotel in Beach Road. When approached, the 43-year-old said that he was in Singapore to 'visit a cousin who lives here'. When asked about his interest in the national football team head coach role, he was tightlipped, noting that 'it wouldn't be right for me to comment on that'. According to sources, Montgomery and Spanish tactician Jesus Casas, the former manager of the Iraq national team, are here this week to meet with senior officials from the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and the Unleash the Roar! national football project. Montgomery met with them on Aug 14, while Casas will do so on Aug 15. Both managers are part of the shortlist of candidates – reported by ST in July – to replace former Lions head coach Tsutomu Ogura, who resigned on June 24 due to personal reasons. At the FAS Media day on Aug 6, deputy president Desmond Ong revealed that it had received 67 applications for the vacancy. This was whittled down to an initial shortlist of 16, before 10 candidates were selected for interviews. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Jalan Bukit Merah fire: PMD battery could have started fatal blaze, says SCDF Singapore askST: What to do in the event of a fire at home? Singapore 4 housebreaking suspects taken to Bukit Timah crime scene under police escort Asia AirAsia flight from KL to Incheon lands at the wrong airport in South Korea Singapore Reformative training for teen who cheated man of $47k Rolex watch on former stepdad's instructions Opinion Could telco consolidation spell the end of attractive mobile plans? Asia Strong India-Singapore ties key to economic growth amid 'volatile landscape': DPM Gan Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength The FAS executive committee and a technical panel will conduct a review next, after which contract negotiations will follow before an appointment is made. According to sources, the shortlist now comprises Italian football icon Fabio Cannavaro, former Liverpool player Harry Kewell, Casas, Montgomery, and former Thailand coach Mano Polking, who all come from diverse elite-level playing and coaching backgrounds. Though Casas and Montgomery's presence in Singapore suggests that the duo are the front runners for the top job. Montgomery was Ange Postecoglou's assistant coach at English Premier League club Tottenham from June 2024, during which they won the Europa League for their first major trophy in 17 years. Born in Leeds, England, the Australian left the club after Postecoglou was sacked in June. Tottenham Hotspur's Guglielmo Vicario speaks to assistant coach Nick Montgomery durng the Europa League final against Manchester United in May. PHOTO: REUTERS Before his English Premier League stint, he won the 2023 A-League championship with Australian club Central Coast Mariners. Later that year he was appointed manager of Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership but was sacked in May 2024. As a player, Montgomery was best known for his time with Sheffield United, with whom he made over 350 first-team appearances between 2000 and 2012. Casas, 51, was most recently head coach of Iraq's national team after his appointment in November 2022. In his 33 matches in charge, he won 20, drew four and lost nine. In April, the Iraqi Football Association announced Casas' dismissal with just two games remaining in Asian qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The team are still in with a chance of reaching the tournament and will play fourth round fixtures against Indonesia and Saudi Arabia in October. Casas, who will be FAS' first Spanish coach if hired, worked with several youth teams in Spain before being appointed assistant manager to Javi Gracia at English outfit Watford in early 2018. He was part of the Spanish national team's coaching staff from 2018 to 2022, working alongside La Roja head coaches Robert Moreno and Luis Enrique. While the hunt for the head coach picks up steam, for now former BG Tampines Rovers head coach Gavin Lee will serve as interim manager of the Lions for the international friendly against Malaysia on Sept 4, and back to back AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against India in October.
Straits Times
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Football sisters Nurhidayu and Natasha reunite for Singapore-Hong Kong friendly
Sisters Natasha Naszri (left), 17, and Nurhidayu Naszri, 21, will be representing Singapore for the international football friendly against Hong Kong. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM SINGAPORE - The last time sisters Nurhidayu and Natasha Naszri were on a football pitch together was Dec 5, 2024, when the Lionesses played the third-place play-off at the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Women's Cup. Then, the team posted a 1-0 victory over Timor-Leste to claim the final qualifying berth for the 2025 Asean Women's Championship – a first for the Singapore women's football team. Though the team later withdrew from the competition, the qualification remains a cherished memory for the sisters. 'We really sacrificed a lot and put in a lot of effort to play for that competition. So having to really win it, and achieve something, was a really happy moment for us,' said Nurhidayu, 21. The duo are looking forward to more happy moments on the field together on June 15, when the Lionesses play 80th-ranked Hong Kong in an international friendly at Choa Chu Kang Stadium. This is the world No. 139 Singaporeans' first international home fixture of 2025. Both players are among the 23-member squad picked by national women's team head coach Karim Bencherifa for the game. Left-back Nurhidayu and central midfielder Natasha, 17, have not spent much time together as the latter has been training in Spain's LaLiga academy as part of the Unleash the Roar! (UTR) overseas scholarship programme, while Nurhidayu trains here with the Lion City Sailors women's team and Temasek Polytechnic. Nurhidayu said: 'We have known each other our whole life, so we understand each other. If I have a problem, I go to her; if she has a problem, she goes to me. This stuff helps us to develop as a player as well.' Natasha has followed keenly in her older sister's footsteps, joining her first in their Telok Kurau Primary School football team, and then to the national youth team. During the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) season, they both played for the Sailors, who topped the league. When Natasha was called up to the national senior team in 2023, Nurhidayu was out due to a knee injury. Nonetheless, she still had advice for her younger sibling, telling her to 'just play, don't have to be nervous'. Family support is important for the pair as their parents, two siblings and other relatives will show up in the stadium to cheer them on during their games. Though they may be four years apart, the sisters share a close bond, as seen in their banter and teasing during the interview with The Straits Times. They bicker about their favourite football teams – Natasha supports Liverpool and Real Madrid like their father, Nurhidayu is a Tottenham Hotspur fan – and who is better at mathematics. Though they may be four years apart, the sisters share a close bond, as seen in their banter and teasing during the interview with The Straits Times. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM But playing football is serious business for them. Nurhidayu, who received her maiden call-up in 2021 and has 18 appearances to Natasha's seven, said: 'To come back and contribute for the country, it's always an honour. We take every call up as an opportunity for us to actually give what we can.' The Hong Kong game is the second fixture in the week for the Lionesses, who played the same opponents in a closed-door match on June 12. While Bencherifa did not reveal the score, he noted it was a close contest and that he was pleased with the competitiveness and performance of his team. Singapore were beaten 1-0 in their last game against Hong Kong in 2022 – Nurhidayu was also part of the team then. The two matches will also serve as preparation for the Lionesses for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers. Held in Jordan from June 23 to July 5, Singapore has been drawn into Group A alongside 68th-ranked Iran, Jordan (75), Lebanon (130), and Bhutan (171). The squad for the Hong Kong friendly and AFC tournament has an average age of 21 and comprise a mix of experienced and young players. They include senior players Lim Li Xian, captain Rosnani Azman and forward Farhanah Ruhaizat, returning overseas players Danielle Tan and Venetia Lim, and five from the UTR programme. Among the newcomers are Still Aerion's Nurul Unaisah, Albirex Niigata's Nurzaherra Maisarah and Balestier Khalsa's Sharifah Nur Amanina, who won a women's singles gold in teqball at the 2023 SEA Games. However, the Lionesses will be without key midfielder Putri Syaliza, who is studying at Oakland University in the US and is unavailable due to personal commitments. Bencherifa earlier noted that the match against Hong Kong 'will be a good test for us to assess where we are and what we need to improve on'. He added: 'We try always to have a good performance, and the result is also important.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
