Singapore coach says Korea will be tough…must play as one team

Singapore head coach Takayuki Nishigaya has predicted a difficult match against South Korea and is determined to pull off an upset with his team.

The Singapore national team will take on Jürgen Klinsmann’s side at Seoul World Cup Stadium on June 16 at 8 p.m. in the first leg of the second round of Asian qualifying for the 안전카지노사이트 FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026.

The match will mark the start of South Korea’s quest to qualify for their 11th consecutive World Cup and will be Klinsmann’s first test as head coach. Singapore is ranked 155th in the FIFA rankings, making them a significant underdog to the 24th-ranked South Koreans.

“I think (World Cup qualification) is an honor,” Takayuki said at the official press conference at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Friday afternoon. We will do our best. We will give 100% for tomorrow’s game.”

Klinsmann, who spoke first at the press conference, highlighted the upset of Ryan City (Singapore)’s 0-2 victory over K League 1 powerhouse Jeonbuk Hyundai in the 2023-2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) on Aug. 8 and predicted a tough game.

“It’s a confidence booster, but I think there’s a difference between the international level (Asian Qualifiers) and the regional level (ACL),” said Takayuki, “Korea has a lot of players who play at a high level. I think Korea will be stronger in terms of experience. It will be a difficult match tomorrow.”

“It’s important for us to play as a one-man team. It’s important for us to play as a one-man team.” He hoped for a miraculous turnaround.