SINGAPORE: The hunt for a new national football head coach has intensified, with the shortlist down from 10 names a week ago to five now, CNA understands.

A few candidates – including former Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach Nick Montgomery – are in Singapore for interviews to snag the top job, after Japanese tactician Tsutomu Ogura resigned on Jun 24 due to personal reasons.

His exit left Singapore looking for its fourth national coach in six years. Assistant coach Gavin Lee has stepped in to lead the Lions as caretaker in the meantime.

While the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has kept its final candidates under wraps, Montgomery and a mystery Spaniard are among those who have been spotted in town for talks.

Montgomery left the English Premier League side in June after a year there, where he won the Europa League. He was previously head coach of Scottish Premiership club Hibernian and Australian A-League side Central Coast Mariners.

The 43-year-old spent most of his playing career at Sheffield United.

NO MAJOR TROPHIES SINCE 2012

The incoming coach will face high expectations from the new FAS Council, led by billionaire Forrest Li who was elected president in April.

Li, who founded tech giant Sea, also owns Singapore Premier League (SPL) club Lion City Sailors. He told reporters last week he hopes that with success on the field, more people will follow local football and that interest will grow.

Singapore are currently 159th in the world rankings.

"We have the best city planning, the best airport, best highways. A lot of things are world-class – why not football?" Li said.

Ogura left Singapore at the top of their third-round Asian Cup qualifying group, with four points after their first two matches and four games left. Finishing top means qualifying for Asia’s premier competition for the first time ever on merit.

The Lions have not secured a major trophy in more than a decade since winning Southeast Asia’s football championship, the AFF Championship, in 2012.

Observers said a new coach needs to be hired soon in order to build relationships with the players and understand the local football environment.

Football pundit and commentator Rhysh Roshan Rai said Ogura had “brought a lot more belief” into the Lions, who now have clearer ideas about the team.

“They want to try and dominate teams … They want to go out and play, and they want to show that they have courage on the ball, so I think all these things are really encouraging and you would like to see this continue,” added the former Singapore Armed Forces FC midfielder.

“I don't think it'll be a good idea to get someone who's going to basically rip up all the tactics and come in with his own ideas, own approach. Because at the international level, you don't have much time to work with these players.”

Rai noted that the new coach will also have to consider if Lions are getting enough playing minutes in the SPL, which recently raised the number of foreign players to seven per match.

“We’re seeing SPL clubs, for example, signing foreign goalkeepers, and so that's going to be a key area as well. We already don't have a great goalkeeping situation in Singapore,” he added.

Ogura had left his role with some advice for Singapore football.

“Singapore must look for its own way, not chase another country, or chase another way of how to do things,” he said.

“Always keep confidence. Keep trust to our players, then our staff, then I think for Singapore a new history is coming.”