Unleash The Roar! sends three coaches to Japan for stints with professional clubs

(Left to right) Ratna Suffian, Nazri Nasir and Miur Rafik Taha aim to elevate their coaching skills in Japan. Photo credit to Unleash The Roar!, Ng Chrong Meng.

Former national captain and Young Lions coach Nazri Nasir is among three experienced coaches who will be spending the rest of the year on attachment to professional Japanese clubs. 

The Coach Overseas Attachment (COA) programme, an initiative by the Unleash The Roar! (UTR!) national football programme, will see Singapore coaches immersed in the day-to-day dealings of first-team training. 

J2 side Ventforet Kofu, the 2022 Emperor’s Cup winner, will welcome Nazri as part of its back-room staff for the rest of the 2025 season. Nazri will assist head coach Shinji Ohtsuka with day-to-day training.

Two other coaches will be joining J1 club Tokyo Verdy. Geylang International women’s head coach Ratna Suffian and Singapore Sports School coach Miur Rafik Taha will gain valuable insights from working alongside head coach Hiroshi Jofuku. The COA programme is in its second year, following successful stints by former national icons Noh Alam Shah and Isa Halim at Tokyo Verdy last year. During their attachment, they gained valuable insights into Japanese football methodology, particularly in areas of youth development and high-performance training. Alam Shah has since applied these learnings as head coach of Singapore Premier League side Tanjong Pagar United, while Isa has enhanced the youth development programme at Singapore Sports School with innovative training methods adapted from his Japanese experience.

The COA programme is a key initiative under UTR!, which is jointly spearheaded by Sport Singapore and the Football Association of Singapore (FAS). The programme aims to upskill local coaches by immersing them in the high-performance environments of strong international clubs.

Said Mr Marcus Tan, Sport Singapore’s Chief of Sport Development Group, who was in Tokyo to commemorate the collaboration between the Japanese clubs and UTR!: “We are heartened by Tokyo Verdy’s continued support for the second season of the Coaches Overseas Attachment programme. Their dedication to fostering meaningful coaching exchanges has been instrumental in shaping valuable learning experiences for our coaches.

“At the same time, we are appreciative of the strong support provided by Ventforet Kofu in this initiative. Together with both clubs, we look forward to building stronger football ties with Japan while raising the standards of coaching excellence in Singapore.”

Ventforet Kofu is excited about the partnership

(Left to right) Mr Satoru Sakuma, President of Ventforet Kofu, Singapore coach Nazri Nasir and Mr Marcus Tan, Sport Singapore’s Chief of Sport Development Group, at the MOU signing ceremony. Photo by Ventforet Kofu.

Ventforet Kofu is a club that has Singapore links. It is best known for winning the 2022 Emperor’s Cup under former Singapore coach Tatsuma Yoshida. The club has a strong commitment to nurturing young talent and coaching excellence.

Mr Satoru Sakuma, President of Ventforet Kofu, said: “We are excited to support this collaborative effort and welcome Coach Nazri to our club. We believe in learning through diversity, and this partnership reflects our values.”

Tokyo Verdy continues to support the program

(Left to right) Mr Marcus Tan, Sport Singapore’s Chief of Sport Development Group and Mr Takaaki Nakamura, Tokyo Verdy President, at the MOU signing ceremony. Photo by Unleash The Roar!

Tokyo Verdy will continue its partnership with UTR! by welcoming two new Singaporean coaches.

Said Mr Takaaki Nakamura, President of Tokyo Verdy: “We are honoured to welcome Miur Rafik and Ratna Suffian to Tokyo Verdy. Last year’s coaches brought fresh perspectives and passion. We look forward to continuing this exchange with the new batch of support coaches.”

Nazri Nasir assisted the Ventforet Kofu's training session in Japan. Photo by Ventforet Kofu.

Invaluable experience for Singapore coaches

National football icon Nazri, who has over 100 caps and captained Singapore to its first ASEAN Football Championship win in 1988, lauded the programme and its potential. He said: “It is an honour to be part of this next chapter in Singapore football.

“Having worn the national jersey for over a decade and coached the youth and senior teams, I understand the responsibility and pride of representing our country. My coaching journey has always been about building the next generation. This project is a step forward in nurturing that potential, and I’m excited to see our local coaches gain international exposure and bring back valuable insights to our ecosystem.”

Ratna Suffian at Tokyo Verdy training session in Japan. Photo by Tokyo Verdy.

Former international Ratna is looking forward to progress in his coaching journey and said: “I’m particularly interested in how Japan integrates performance data, match analysis, and conditioning into their player pathways — insights that can help raise the standards of women’s football and coaching education in Singapore. It’s a privilege to learn from one of Asia’s most established clubs and bring that knowledge back to uplift our system.”

Miur Rafik Taha at Tokyo Verdy training session in Japan. Photo by Tokyo Verdy.

Added Miur: ”I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity. Immersing myself in the day-to-day of a J1 club like Tokyo Verdy will challenge and grow me as a coach.”

For the first batch of coaches who have experienced the benefits of the attachment, Alam Shah said, “The attachment at Tokyo Verdy reinforced the importance of continuous learning and adaptability as a coach. The Japanese systematic approach to players’ development and attention to detail has helped me improve my training programme at the club level.”