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“Some of the fans were indeed shocked when they knew we were from Singapore but they quickly realised that we were equally as passionate as them cheering for Valencia. We tried our best to communicate with them to let them know that we were supporters of the club too. I think they appreciated our effort and probably guts (to be there in person!)”
“It was the same bulk of nations who featured in the 2018 edition in Russia, with Qatar the only addition this year. And it also proved to be a much better showing of home support for the Asian nations, as 3 countries progressed to the knockout stage compared to only 1 four years ago – Japan.
It is also the first time that 3 Asian countries made it past the group stage, beating the record of 2 in 2010 and 2002. Let us look at each of the 6 countries’ journeys in the World Cup 2022 and how they fared”
“The level of Southeast Asia and in particular Singapore is improving with each passing year. Within this maelstrom that is Singapore Football, I believe I can contribute to its growth with my experience. I do think that this is a worthwhile league to be in and as time goes on, you can expect more international footballers featuring in the SPL”
“When I was young, I would watch Ultraman on the television on weekends and always thought that he was superb. Like ‘Leesaw’ (Teeratep Winothai), this gives me a nickname and helps people remember me as someone inspiring. When I travel for holidays, I even have fans coming up to me to take a photo together with that pose.”
“Many people also warned me there will not be many Forrest Lis. But if you don’t even start the concept somewhere and still continue in the way we’re running the league, the standard of Singapore football will remain the way it is – where each club is dependent on the subsidy given by the government. It’s usually a situation where you give me $800k and I try my best to get some money from either jackpot machines or a sponsor or I try to put in some money, if at all.”
“There have been a change in the competition format since 2012 where it became a knockout stages from second round onwards, so there will always be room for plenty of surprises, for example Egypt eliminated Italy in 2016 and Colombia sent Iran packing in 2012. Afterall, futsal is a very dynamic game with a lot of small details. And one small detail is capable of changing a game.”
“But of course the biggest factor is the parents’ mindset and that is indeed not easy to change. During my time, there was a lot of good Chinese players at school level but they never pursued a professional career because their parents don’t allow them to – I think this is an issue that still exists today.”
“Let’s look at the bright side of playing against all these big teams. There are so much to gain especially for the younger players. I told them how fortunate they are to be able to play against the best in Asia at their age. The experience that they gained from playing in such matches will definitely improve their game! So I told the younger boys, let’s all go out do our best and enjoy the moments”
Football has snailed back up from the sleepy lockdown months and we’re peaking with fantastic spectacles like the absolute stormer of a football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 a few nights ago. But at the end of a storm, there’s normally a golden sky; the future is certainly golden for top tier wunderkinds like 19-year-old Takefusa Kubo from Real Madrid and Lee Kang-In of Valencia CF.
It is a very natural thing now to see more Asian players playing in European leagues now. We have got the best from Japan (Takefusa Kubo) and South Korea (Lee Kang In) in La Liga now. But if you ask me, I think the best of Asian football is yet to come.
