Raddy Avramovic to bow out as Singapore coach

Singapore are to part ways with their long-term football coach Raddy Avramovic, a report said Wednesday, not long after they sank to their lowest ever FIFA ranking.

Avramovic, who has been at the helm for nine years, will bow out after the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup and before qualifying begins for the 2015 Asian Cup, the Straits Times said without quoting sources.

The newspaper said Avramovic's departure was a mutual decision with the 62-year-old Serb keen to explore opportunities in the Middle East and China.

However, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) told the paper no decision had been taken.

"Our efforts and resources are channelled to our primary focus and we remain confident that coach Raddy is the man to lead the team into this competition (Suzuki Cup)," the body was quoted as saying.

"Any other issues will be discussed and decided only after the competition." The FAS was not immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP.

Avramovic has twice won the Southeast Asian competition now known as the Suzuki Cup with Singapore, but he faced calls to resign this year after they lost six 2014 World Cup qualifiers in a row, conceding 20 goals and scoring just two.

Singapore are now languishing at 162nd out of 207 teams in the FIFA rankings, from a high of 73 in 1993 and just four places higher than Afghanistan.

In February, they will embark on qualifying for the Asian Cup in a tough Group A alongside Jordan, Syria and Oman.

"This is a very competitive group and it will not be easy," Avramovic had said in a statement on the FAS website.