Mitsubishi Electric, the title sponsor of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024, recently held a football clinic at Bedok Stadium aimed at nurturing young local football talent at Albirex Singapore Football Academy and offering valuable training to its coaches.
The session was led by Dobashi Isao, head of youth coaching at FC Imabari, and introduced the participants to the "Okada Method"—a coaching philosophy developed by Japan’s former national team coach, Takeshi Okada.
MitsubishiOkada, a legendary figure in Japanese football, famously guided the Samurai Blue to their first-ever World Cup finals in 1998. His approach, centered on strategic movement and mental resilience, was passed on to the young Albirex Singapore Football Academy players, who had the unique opportunity to experience this celebrated method firsthand.
Next Match
MitsubishiAdding to the significance of the event was the presence of several Singapore football icons, including former national team captain Indra Sahdan, alongside defensive stalwarts S. Subramani and Fahrudin Mustafic. Each has left a lasting mark on the local football scene: Indra Sahdan as one of Singapore’s all-time leading forwards, S. Subramani as a three-time AFF Championship winner, and Mustafic as a key player in Singapore’s 2007 AFF Championship triumph.
Reflecting on the clinic, S. Subramani commented: "It’s a great initiative from Mitsubishi to organize this clinic for the kids. It’s vital for us to reconnect with the fans and the community." He emphasized how events like these contribute to the growth of football across Southeast Asia: "At the end of the day, our goal is the same: to develop football in this region."
MitsubishiThe clinic introduced participants to the Okada Method, a training system that combines technical drills with a focus on mental toughness, tactical awareness, and teamwork. FC Imabari has used this method to develop independent, self-reliant players.
One of the young participants, Sasikumar Darsith from Albirex Singapore Football Academy, expressed his excitement after the clinic: "I was nervous at first because I usually don’t play that well, but after the clinic, I could see improvements. I defended better and even struck the ball better. I’m really happy."
Another player, Manu Darshan, also shared his experience: "The Okada Method taught me a lot. In my academy, we focus on dribbling and defending, but here I learned to open up and pass better. The drills were different, and I found the 4-on-2 exercise particularly challenging, but it helped me understand positioning and teamwork."
Both young players agreed that the 6-on-6 match at the end of the clinic was the most enjoyable part of the day. Manu pointed out how the players were instructed to celebrate together after scoring a goal: "We had to celebrate as a team, or it didn’t count. It showed us how important working together is."
Throughout the clinic, Indra Sahdan, S. Subramani, and Fahrudin Mustafic were on hand to offer their guidance and inspire the young athletes. Mustafic remarked: "It’s an amazing thing. We’re all united by football, and Mitsubishi Electric has provided a good experience for these kids to train under foreign coaches."
He added: "This is how it starts—small clinics like this can grow into bigger opportunities. The key is engaging kids through football, and step by step, we can achieve greater things. You can see the talent in many of them, but what’s most important is that they had fun and experienced something different."
The football clinic is part of the lead-up to the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024, which kicks off on December 8 and runs until January 5, 2025.