After challenging Japan training camp, Gavin Lee's Lions face ASEAN football championship test

SINGAPORE: A two-week Japan training camp that pushed the Lions to their limits has helped them prepare for their next major test, the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup, said head coach Gavin Lee.

Speaking to CNA on Tuesday (Jul 21), Lee said that matches during the Okinawa trip were designed to overload players going through their pre-seasons, as they learnt to deal with the tempo of better opposition for the full 90 minutes.

"That was something that we knew and we expected, and it was necessary for the boys to suffer," he said.

"Our reference is the ASEAN Football Federation (championship). Everything we do is to prepare us for the AFF. And so hopefully what we went through, the suffering we went through, would bear fruit when we arrive at the (tournament)."

During their Jul 6 to Jul 17 training camp, the Lions lost 0-2 to third-tier side FC Ryukyu and 2-3 to fourth-tier team Okinawa SV. They also played J2 League side Albirex Niigata in a closed-door friendly.

"We didn't go to Okinawa for 'easy' – if we wanted easy, we would have stayed at home and played internal games or potentially regional games. We wanted things to be difficult," said Lee.

"We wanted them to be exposed a little bit, to be uncomfortable, disappointed, frustrated ... If we can expose them (to these experiences) and if we can adapt to that, when we come back, life should be a bit easier going into the competition."

At the biennial regional tournament that kicks off later this week, the Lions have been grouped with Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia and Vietnam. 

They have a packed start to the tournament with three matches in eight days.

"When it comes to tournament football, every game is a final," said Lee. "Like it or not, it's really one game at a time. It's no point