AFC Asian Cup 2027: Singapore FA President Awards INR 18 Cr. to Lions out of pocket after qualifying

Singapore made history when it secured a spot in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup – the first-ever merit-based qualification in the tournament.

Forrest Li, the president of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), announced that the Lions will be awarded a prize money of US$2 million (approximately INR 18 Cr.), an amount which he revealed was paid from his own account.

«The $2 million you mentioned comes from my own pocket. That is my personal money,» Li said at a press conference where Gavin Lee was promoted to full-time coach after taking the team to the Asian Cup on an interim basis.

“I hope this won’t always be the case, because if Gavin keeps winning, you’ll have to buy me McDonald’s,” Li said, prompting laughter at the conference.

Singapore was drawn in Group C with top seeds India, Bangladesh and Hong Kong, China. After five matches they are unbeaten and India were defeated 2-1 in Goa, the first win against the Blue Tigers in India.

It was well tested by Hong Kong in the third round, but Ilhan Fandi’s second goal for Singapore saw the Lions reach the tournament for the first time since 1984, when it had qualified as hosts by default.

“Right after our match in Hong Kong, the FAS email and hotline received a lot of questions,” Li said.

“We get a lot of emails saying ‘we want to contribute’… and ‘how can we contribute?’ That’s what we’re hoping, and that’s what we’re going to work on.”

Published on November 29, 2025