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I refer to the report, “ ” (Jan 4). The capitulation of the Lions in the Asean Football Federation Championship summed up the sorry state of Singapore football. In the match against perennial rivals Malaysia, the Lions hardly looked like a semi-final contender. Rather, they played like minnows bereft of ideas, characterised by insipid passing and profligacy when presented with a clear chance to put the ball into the opposition’s net. Singapore football today does not have a pool of players who can marshal the defence well, like former captain Terry Pathmanathan and custodian David Lee, or playmakers like V. Sundramoorthy, who could dash, dribble and dazzle. Singapore’s national football squad needs to be rejuvenated urgently, if it is going to make any positive impact in future regional and international tournaments. Start with a clean slate, even if it means bringing in new faces to augment the effort, with a few foreign-born naturalised Singapore players. The Football Association of Singapore could also consider filling up its calendar by arranging for the Lions to play against teams ranked higher on a regular basis and, perhaps, hosting more tournaments like the Merlion Cup.