SAFFC's unassuming head coach, Richard Bok

With the S-League season kicking off on 1 February 2010, all eyes will be on one team - the Singapore Armed Forces FC. The Warriors have been on the warpath since the inception of the S-League in 1996, and have won the title a record eight times, including the last four consecutive years from 2006 to 2009.

 

The Warriors have also set many firsts in the S-League – they were the first club to win back to back doubles (winning both the S-League and Singapore Cup) in 2007 and 2008, and they were also the first Singapore club to play in the prestigious Asian Champions League. The success must surely be the envy of many, but as The Play Times sat down and spoke to head coach and reigning S-League Coach of the Year, Richard Bok, it appears to be just business as usual at Choa Chu Kang.

The Play Times (TPT): Richard, tell us about your team’s preparations for the new season?

Richard Bok (RB): Our preparations  have been good so far. We started our pre-season in December and we are now in our fine-tuning week, getting ready for the season proper.

We have played a couple of friendly games and we went to Vietnam for a training tour. Although we lost both games, the tour had allowed me to see where the team’s readiness for the new season is.

TPT: Some say that signing on too many new players at a go will disrupt the harmony of the team. You made 10 signings during the off season. What are your thoughts on this?

RB: In truth, almost three-quarters of the the team from 2009 has moved on. But then again, if you look at our team from last year, we were heading on a down curve. I could have kept the same team, but sooner or later we would have to change. So we decided to make some changes this year. We looked around, and I had some people recommending  good players like Niklas Sandberg. I do not know whether the new team will repeat the success that we have had in past years , but I believe that this team can do better.

TPT: From what you have seen, have the new signings gotten on well with the rest of the players?

RB: The morale of the team has been good throughout. Now that the national team players are back from international duties, we are getting stronger by the day.


TPT: Tell us about your new players, can they replace former stalwarts of Kenji Arai and Aleksandar Duric?

RB: It  remains to be seen whether Kenji and Duric can be replaced.. But I think they are all technically very good players - good quality players - so hopefully we can get the team to bond quickly and play the type of football that I want them to play.

TPT: Tell us your thoughts on the inclusion of a European team in the S-League for the first time.

RB: It remains to be seen whether it is a good idea. But it is a new injection to the league, so we will have to cross our fingers and see how they progress.

TPT: Three-time S-League Coach of the Year, and perhaps one of the best coaches to have ever graced the S-League. What do you attribute your success to?

RB: There is no short cut to success; it is all about hard work. Whether you are an experienced player or a young player, you have to work hard and play as a team. You can have all the star players as part of your team but if they do not play as a team, you cannot win.

Just look at Real Madrid and Inter Milan over the past few years. It is important that the players know that it is a team game. It is not just the 11 players on the field but the 16, 17 players as well as the younger players. I’ve always said that you have to work hard as a team and you have to have a good harmony because a happy team is always a winning team.

TPT: How do you see SAFFC faring in the S-League this year?

RB: I do not know about Beijing Guo’an and Etoile FC yet, but I would say Home United, Tampines Rovers and Gombak United. These three teams, especially Home United, are very strong. They would definitely be strong contenders for the S-League title this year.