Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng said that the target set to qualify for the 2034 World Cup was not one set by the Government but by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS). He also said that they had a discussion with the FAS on how they intended to achieve their goal and on the mid and long term plans for youth development leading up to 2034.
The FAS replied that it was surprised by the comments made by Mr Baey. Without the support of the government, they claimed that it would be difficult for the national team to qualify for the World Cup. The association also said that although they are happy to spearhead the aspiration to qualify for the World Cup in 2034, it would not be successful without it being the goal of the country and its stakeholders.
Being ranked 157th in the world, the FAS understands the challenge before them. They had previously set a goal of reaching the 2010 World Cup back in 1998. That did not come to fruition. They are adamant however that they should still set bold targets and try to achieve these targets. The FAS also said that they would be looking to clarify their position with MCCY after the comments Mr Baey made.
Below is their FB post responding to the comments.