Gavin Lee, the talented head coach of the Singapore national team

Gavin Lee, a 1990-born coach, wasn't the most prominent figure during Singapore's hunt for a new head coach in 2025. Names such as Fabio Cannavaro, Harry Kewell, and Nick Montgomery had been floated in conversations.

Nevertheless, Gavin Lee was the one chosen. This coach, born in 1990, has consistently achieved unexpected results while leading Singapore, including securing a spot at the 2027 Asian Cup and remaining unbeaten in the group stage of the 2026 ASEAN Cup.

Why was Gavin Lee selected?

When the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) began its search for a permanent head coach following Tsutomu Ogura's departure, several well-known coaches were mentioned. According to FAS Vice President Desmond Ong, the association established three "basic criteria" in the search. The candidate must possess professional competence, communication skills, and the ability to build relationships with players, as well as experience in taking a team to the Asian Cup or World Cup.

In the end, Gavin Lee, then just 35 years old, was chosen and even regarded as the "most suitable" candidate. His biggest advantage was guiding Singapore to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup as interim head coach.

Singapore does not have a deep pool of players. Additionally, although they have won the ASEAN Cup four times, their most recent title dates back to 2012. Over the years, the Singapore national team has gone through various foreign coaches with different philosophies, only to start over again.

Radojko Avramovic, the most successful coach in Singapore's history with three ASEAN Cup titles, holds Gavin Lee in high regard. According to him, some foreign coaches struggled because they didn't fully understand the lifestyle and sports culture in Singapore, but Gavin Lee is different.

Gavin Lee grew up within Singapore's football system, having served as a coach for Tampines Rovers and later as an assistant for the national team. He knows the Lion City's squad inside out.

In an interview with the website of Singapore's National Institute of Education, Gavin Lee stated that he often thinks about possible scenarios and the outcomes of matches. He also believes that the Philosophy course he studied at Nanyang Technological University has honed his logical analysis skills for his work.

His deep understanding of Singapore football, combined with his experience as an assistant coach and academic knowledge from university, has shaped the Gavin Lee we see today.

Defeating Thailand—why not?

Coach Radojko Avramovic praised Gavin Lee's ability to blend experienced leaders in the squad with young players during the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign.

In the 2026 ASEAN Cup, Gavin Lee continued to demonstrate his winning touch, guiding the island nation to the semifinals in a group featuring Vietnam and Indonesia. "Even before the tournament started, no one really thought we had a chance in this group," Gavin Lee said when Singapore advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 ASEAN Cup as group runners-up with an unbeaten record.

Since the start of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in 2025, Singapore has lost only two friendlies—2-3 to Thailand and 1-2 to China. Gavin Lee has played a significant role in this impressive run.

The challenges for Gavin Lee are far from over, as Singapore will face Thailand in the semifinals of the 2026 ASEAN Cup. Although Thailand may not field their strongest squad, they have still shown their class with experienced players and promising young talents. However, on the other side, the "War Elephants" certainly cannot afford to be complacent against Singapore.

In the group stage of the 2026 ASEAN Cup, Singapore proved to be a tough opponent with a solid defensive style. But they are not just about defense—once they win the ball, they quickly transition into attack.

Vietnam failed to breach Singapore's defense despite dominating the game at My Dinh Stadium, while Indonesia could only score one goal against the Lion City and were eliminated after a 1-1 draw.

Based on their group-stage performances, Gavin Lee and his players clearly have the right to dream of causing an upset against Thailand in the semifinals of the 2026 ASEAN Cup. Now, everyone is waiting to see how far this 1990s-born coach can take Singapore football.