BoLASEPaKO.COM - A Blog on Singapore Football

SGPL - Albirex Niigata (Singapore) 1-2 Tanjong Pagar United 060821

Tanjong Pagar United's GK Zharfan Rohaizad fisted away the danger

Jags' GK Zharfan Rohaizad fisted away the danger

Bounced from last week's defeat in the hands of Geylang International on the same venue, Tanjong Pagar United scored the biggest upset since their returning to the top-flight by beating defending AIA Singapore Premier League champions Albirex Niigata (Singapore) 2-1 last evening (6/8) at the Jurong East Stadium.

Against the run of play, former White Swans star Reo Nishiguchi put the Jaguars ahead in the 33rd minute before it was cancelled out by Shuya Yamashita's header in the 81st minute.

But Luiz Junior's audacious lob in the 84th minute confirmed their co-tenant's first defeat of the year.

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SGPL - Albirex Niigata (S) 4-1 Hougang United 130821

Ryosuke Nagasawa (middle) shielded the ball away from Cheetahs' Shahfiq Ghani

Right after last night's (13/8) AIA Singapore Premier League fixture that saw Albirex Niigata (Singapore) crushed Hougang United 4-1 at Jurong East Stadium, I received a text from a friend which read.

"𝘼𝙡𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙭 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙. 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙣𝙤 𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙖𝙡."

Absolutely, the Cheetahs were poor and their credibility as a title contender is seriously in doubt since the resume of their campaign.

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SGPL - Lion City Sailors 1-1 Hougang United 270821

LCS' Jorge Fellipe and Hougang's Shawal Anuar engaged in an aerial duel

Lion City Sailors thrown whatever they had in the game but just could not shackle the resistance put by Hougang United in last night's (27/8) AIA Singapore Premier League match played at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

Anders Aplin stunned the home crowds when his header opened the account in the 51st minute before Stipe Plazibat levelled the scores from close range in the 75th minute.

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Good day to all,

Would not want to embroil in some of those emotionally charged debates which are meaningless unless tangible actions are taken to put all those nonsense to stop once and for all than being used as a channel to vent those frustrations.

On that "one particular topic", I would like to ask - at the end of the day, what is the message we try to bring across especially to those kids

Is it meaning to say in the end, you will be forgiven after you served your punishment as if it is an "entitlement" for what you have been through when the key is to prevent anyone from doing the wrong thing at the very beginning?

And let us not forget our government has strict laws on matters pertaining to "that thing" and there shall not be compromise on that.

That will be my final and last comment on "that issue"

And last but not least, all the best to Siti Rosnani Azman who is embarking on her new football journey when she will begin her professional career with INAC Kobe Leoness in Japan's WE League.

Till then, stay safe and healthy and don't gather in numbers ❌

Thank you for your support.

Thank you for your support. (📷 Meme Generator app)

- 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 (1st version)𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍 -

match ticket of Home United S.League game at Bishan Stadium

It used to cost $5 for more than a decade

Years ago, before an S.League game between SAFFC and Etoile FC at Jalan Besar Stadium, I met someone I know just outside the ground, along King George Avenue, and had this brief conversation (as below).

Acquaintance: "Do you have a free ticket?"as he was aware of my involvement in the scene.

Me: "Nope, I don't have it"

Acquaintance: "Cannot be, last time my who worked as a photographer, always have free tickets to matches"

Me: "Time changes as different people are calling the shots now."

A scene like this is not uncommon, but it is already becoming an annoying problem which I attributed to the liberal policy of giving complimentary entry that led to this kind of problem.

A Starhub League Cup match played at Jalan Besar Stadium

A League Cup match played at Jalan Besar Stadium

Perhaps, in the first place, such goodwill was to gather more awareness by offering free admission to fans to certain games.

But the dangerous part of this giveaway has developed into a burden that resulted in the loss of revenue to accommodate this particular group of spectators.

MIXED FEELINGS OVER FREE ADMISSION

A recent poll conducted on this platform's IG Story indicated a wafer-thin majority still favour the idea of giving away free admission to draw awareness.

"I feel the SPL (Singapore Premier League) team(s) should continue offering free entry to fans as a form of engagement to boost interest in the league," said football fan Terence Ong.

"It's not as if we rely on ticket sales for the majority of operating budget like the European clubs and taking this opportunity to get more fans in, and let them see the league is worth following." added the 35-year old marketing manager.

Ong went on to explain such a move to draw in more crowds using complimentary means is hoping to "monetize" from this targeted audience through the sales of merchandise "after they're more interested in the league."

A poll on BoLASEPaKO.com's IG story on free admission

It was a close margin

However, this suggestion of having "free admission" to games to boost the level of interest for SPL is not concurred by some local football supporters.

One of those having this misgiving is another fan who wants to be known by his surname Kua.

"It is a good marketing move if giving a free ticket will result in more revenue from other sources, like sale of merchandise and F&B at match venues," said Kua who identified himself as a Sembawang Rangers fan.

Added the father of two: "Otherwise, giving free tickets just to fill up the seats with no revenue purposes, (would) just (be) a waste of time."

"NO BIG DIFFERENCE": TIGERS

While there were cases of clubs offered free admission to their home games this season, Balestier Khalsa, however, does not have a plan to follow suit.

In an email reply to queries forwarded to the Tigers, the club general manager Cheng Tim Nee explains: "We are now into pandemic period. As long as our government ministries permit spectators, we will continue to put up tickets for sale,

"(Also) I do not foresee any big difference (because) we don’t profit from gate collections," added Cheng.

The crowds at Jurong East Stadium in early part of 2020 season

The crowds at Jurong East Stadium in early 2020

Similarly, Lion City Sailors (LCS) do not have a "free admission" policy to their home matches, but complimentary entry to their home and selected away games is one of the perks being enjoyed by the club's season pass holders, according to the club spokesperson.

Nonetheless, the Sailors felt complimentary entry is one channel to introduce the local game to an untapped market out there, as they further elaborate in their response to the questions put by this platform.

"Free admission is one way of introducing our product – football – to those who have not been exposed to it before, but it cannot be the only method employed." opined the LCS spokesperson.

"We believe in local football, and while we continue to endeavour to improve our football, we must work to create a strong value proposition in the matchday experience to augment the product on the pitch."

APPROVAL MUST BE SOUGHT ON "FREE ADMISSION": FAS
Approval must be sought before SPL clubs are allowed to have free admission to their home games, as revealed by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).

"Clubs must seek approval from the FAS as we have set the minimum quantum for ticketing. Clubs are able to absorb ticket costs to allow for free admission at home matches, after approval is given." said FAS in an email statement on the SPL ticketing policy to this platform.

"Clubs reserve the right to amend ticket prices adhering to the baseline of S$8.00 for adults and S$5.00 for concession and maximum price cap of S$15.00, without seeking directive from the FAS." added FAS in the above-mentioned statement on the pricing policy of SPL matches.

BOOST OR BANE?

Although, I am not sure if the league authority should come up with a more stringent policy on granting complimentary entry to matches.

A sight at Jalan Besar Stadium before a match

Ideally, it will be good to see more paid ticket holders

As someone pointed out to me, liberally giving out complimentary entry would be degrading to the league and does not accord the kind of stature rightfully for it.

Furthermore, rather than having those gate-crashed into the stadium using free passes, would it be fair to those genuine fans who are actually paying to see the matches because they want to?

PS: This article was first published on 23rd April 2011 and is being refurbished with additional details in line with the content repurposing of this blog.

I believe those in their fifties and above would know who Mat Noh (Mohd Noh bin Hussain) was.

Nicknamed "Allan Clarke" of local football, the good-looking striker was a heartthrob to many ladies fans and wowed many with his dazzling skills on the field during his heydays in the 1970s when starring for the national team in their Malaysia Cup exploits that ignited the "Kallang Roar" era.

Mat Noh passed away at the age of 67

But how many who were born in the 1980s actually know him or his contemporaries and those who were born in the late 1970s might be too young to know who they were until they read about them in newspapers, etc.?

And because of such ignorance, it led to one unsavoury incident that triggered one uproar that a late former national player was not properly accoladed on the night when he should at the closing ceremony of the old National Stadium (I shall not dwell on this incident, just go and Google it, as it still left a bitter taste on my tongue whenever I think about it).

The news of the demise of Mr Mat Noh saw another round of nostalgic recollections on social media.

Such a show of affection made me why do we have to wait till very late to realize who they were (the embedded Google Trends indicated the search on "Mat Noh" peaked at 0800hrs on 20th September 2021)?

Shouldn't there be a better engagement or effort to make in order not to let those former players faded into oblivion?

Till then, stay safe and healthy and don't gather in numbers ❌

Thank you for your support.

- 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍 (1, 2, 3) -

39th FAS Annual Congress (picture credit: FAS)

The following are some of the key points mentioned in the 39th Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Annual Congress.

A) From the 2022 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season onwards, the fielding of one Under-23 (U23) player instead of three in the starting lineup.

B) No limit on the number of U23 players registered in each SPL squad.

C)Young elite leagues to resume in the 2022 season (subject to prevailing circumstances).

D)FAS will "put in a strong and determined bid to host"AFF Suzuki Cup.

I thought the biggest takeaways would be points (A) and (C), especially for the former that head coaches would not find themselves in a constrained situation and give more flexibility to field their ideal XI.

The move to revive the youth elite leagues is a good one and hopefully, we can see a conduit in place to allow proper progression than having a fast-tracking mode that saw more teenage players in a top-tier league in this season which is criticized by many in the fraternity as a devaluating move to the SPL.

FAS president Lim Kia Tong (picture credit: FAS)

It is also important to ensure the competitiveness of these youth leagues whose flaws were well-documented in the past and hopefully if the situation permits, the revival of the amateur and corporate leagues too.

These are my thoughts ...

Till then, stay safe and healthy and don't gather in numbers

Thank you for your support.

- 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍 (1,2) -

Lions Training 010921

Coach Yoshida led by example in the Lions' training

National Coach Tatsuma Yoshida called up 22 locally-based players for a series of training sessions during the FIFA international window.

The training sessions saw the newcomers in the likes of Song Ui-young of Lion City Sailors and Hougang United's Afiq Noor.

The sessions also saw the return of skipper Hariss Harun alongside Faritz Hameed, Jacob Mahler and Geylang International's Amy Recha whose last call-up was back in July 2016.

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SGPL - Tampines Rovers 2-1 Young Lions 180921

Balancing act by Baihakki Khaizan

Tampines Rovers had to work their socks off till the end to ensure they finally snapped their six-game winless streak by beating a resilient Young Lions 2-1 last evening (18/9) at Our Tampines Hub.

Zehrudin Mehmedović gave the Stags the lead before half-time that was cancelled out by the spot-kick from Young Lions' skipper Jacob Mahler in the 71st minute.

However, "Super-sub" Taufik Suparno's strike in the 73rd minute ensured Tampines' misery of late had ended with this hard-fought victory.

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SGPL - Albirex Niigata (S) 0-0 Tampines Rovers 250921

Tampines' GK Syazwan Buhari felt the impact of the "tiang"

Seems like an intriguing see-saw battle for the AIA Singapore Premier League title race after Albirex Niigata FC Singapore failed to shackle the equally subpar Tampines Rovers Football Club in a goalless stalemate held last night (24/9) at the Jurong East Stadium.

The nil-nil draw meant the White Swans could only extend their advantage at the top to three points instead of five from Lion City Sailors, their nearest rivals in the title race.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

1) I never utilize the "story" function available on Instagram until June last year when I posted my first "story" in June 2020.

As I used to think why should I bother to post something which only lasts for 24 hours.

It was only after I posted my first poll in November 2021 and realized how useful it is to solicit feedback and understand the ground's sentiments on various issues on local football.

Like this poll, I conducted to find the fans' preferred mode to watch their AIA Singapore Premier League matches.

A marginal majority preferred at the stadium

2) This recent poll was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek attempt to gauge how was the response seemed to be one-sided, and Shopee did reply after I tagged them in this story.

I never expect Shopee would reply after I posted this

3) On a serious note, this poll was conducted right after the draw of the AFF Suzuki Cup which is scheduled to take place in Singapore at the end of the year.

And seems like many are optimistic about the Lions' chances after we got the hosting right.

Local fans are optimistic of Lions' chances

4) This exercise to find out if ticket stubs were kept after the matches and got everyone involved by asking them to share their collection as well.

There are many collectors of ticket stubs out there

Disclaimer: Given the size of the followers I have at the present moment, these surveys may not necessarily reflect the real sentiments on the ground, unless the exercises are conducted on a wider scale and those abovementioned are merely to serve as a reference.

- 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍 (1, 2, 3, 4)-

A picture of a goalkeeper (as credited)

Just a quick thought of what I saw at the Lion City Sailors - Balestier Khalsa game that had the Sailors walked away with a victory and the Singapore Premier League (SGPL) title.

Sadly, in this game, we witnessed some poor goalkeeping that gifted the newly-minted champions those decisive goals which could have been avoided if better reading and judgment were there in the first place.

Like one veteran coach who once told me "'keeper's territory is six-yard and outside that area would be the defenders" and with that belief, it bemused me what was going through the mind of the 'keeper whose poor judgment eventually led to Gabriel Quak netted LCS' fourth goal and helped to uncork the champagne for celebration.

Lion City Sailors - 2021 SGPL champions (credit: FAS)

Furthermore, the lack of commanding presence in his six-yard led to the second goal scored by Sailors in the first half and he seems to have the audacity to ask "why wasn't any cover"?

Now, enough of those "if you think you are better, go and play lah" comments and I can't be bothered with that.

My belief is that a player who plying their trade at the top-tier level should bear this in mind - chance is only given to those who are prepared and there is no room for sentiment, if one cannot meet the expectations, the door is right there.

- 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍 (1, 2) -

People of my generation might have heard of him, but were too young to realize who he was when he was playing.

Let alone those millennials or Generation Z who might think "Mat Noh" is just a random name of someone around them.

It is something we cannot pinpoint at anyone if many young people these days have not heard the names of Mat Noh and his contemporaries who wowed this island republic in the 1970s.

1977 Singapore National Team is still revered by many till today

Simply because many former players have stayed out of the media limelight after they hung up their boots that it is no surprise, some might not realize who are they if they happened to stand in front or next to a former national player.

SAD THAT ONLY REALIZED WHO THEY WERE WHEN THEY GONE
It is a sad thing that whenever former star players like Mat Noh passed away, we only get to read articles in the newspapers and discussions on social media reminiscing the achievements they had in their heydays, other than that they are, largely forgotten figures most of the time.

Mat Noh (arrowed) played for Toa Payoh United (Singapore Soccer)

Although things cannot be helped if they choose to stay low profile like how former Straits Times sports editor Godfrey Robert described Mat Noh, his former colleague at the broadsheet, as a man with few words in his tribute to the legend who was known for his dashing look and skills during his peak.

An effort to find out more about this media-shy protégé of the late "Uncle" Choo Seng Quee by this platform through a proxy proved to be a futile one when the request was politely declined.

Mat Noh (right) action for Toa Payoh United in 1984 (Singapore Monitor)

However, one 1975 interview with the then 21-year-old by a now-defunct publication did give us a sneak peek at some of the things he enjoyed and disliked.

In that October 1975 "Singapore Soccer" interview, it was mentioned both Geylang International and Tampines Rovers SC were trying to lure the star player from Toa Payoh United, the club that he stayed faithfully with before he faded away from the scene in the late-1980s which in between saw him went to Brazil for a short coaching course with Sayed Mubarak and Rahim Yati in 1984.

Mat Noh's interview with "Singapore Soccer" in 1975

The last known record I am able to find Mat Noh being featured as a player in the local newspapers was a Berita Harian report in 1987 when he came on as a substitute in Toa Payoh United's 2-1 win over Farrer Park United in a National Football League (NFL) Division One match.

Given the scarcity of footage of those players who are still revered by many of those who saw them in action, it is near impossible for the new generation to know how good they were as compared to the present ones who they idolize now.

A random check with those who know Mat Noh as a former footballer in a recent IG story survey by this platform stated they got to know him from those who saw him in action with some cited the movie "Kallang Roar The Movie" being the source they first came to know who he was.

(L-R)Hussein Aljunied, Choo Seng Quee, Andrew Yap and Majid Ariff - coaching panel of 1977 Singapore National Team

"Uncle" Choo Seng Quee (second from left)

LET"S MEET AT "CHOO SENG QUEE LOUNGE"

Nevertheless, it came to my awareness that VIP Holding Lounge at the newly-renovated Jalan Besar Stadium was recently renamed as "Choo Seng Quee Lounge", as a tribute to the man who is considered by many as the greatest football coach Singapore ever had.

Such a move is an appropriate one with this tangible venue that would serve as a place to relate many tales of "Uncle Choo" that are often being shared and reminiscing among his former players.

Who knows in the near future and subject to prevailing circumstances, we might even consider having a gathering of these former national players with fans where such story sharing sessions would be held to allow more people to learn and appreciate those who brought joy and happiness to the terraces from the field they mesmerized their skills on during the good ol' days.

Lion City Sailors - 2021 SPL champions (credit: FAS)

😶 It is not unusual to see transfer speculations surfaced right after the season is over, and already we read about newly-minted champions Lion City Sailors (pictured, credited FAS) linked to several high profile foreign players in their bid to assemble a squad capable to put up a decent performance in next season's AFC Champions League (ACL).

❌ Nothing wrong with that, especially we wouldn't want to see a repeat of that woeful Tampines Rovers' ACL campaign that eventually led to a premature end of their SPL title campaign.

💰 And more importantly, we know the financial muscles of the Sailors and some detractors of theirs are worrying they have already begun to turn SPL into a one-horse race.

LCS Coach Kim Do-hoon won the ACL in 2020 (issued by LCS)

🔍The challenge will be in what way the rest of the league can innovate in other means besides money to complete with Sailors, rather than sit at one corner to lick the wounds.

⚠Till then stay safe and healthy.

- 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍 -

I believe those in their fifties and above would know who Mat Noh (Mohd Noh bin Hussain) was.

Mat Noh passed away at the age of 67

The news of the demise of Mr Mat Noh saw another round of nostalgic recollections on social media.

Such a show of affection made me why do we have to wait till very late to realize who they were?

Shouldn't there be a better engagement or effort to make in order not to let those former players fade into oblivion?

A one-minute silence was observed at one SGPL match for "Mat Noh"

Till then, stay safe and healthy and don't gather in numbers ❌

Thank you for your support.

- 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍 (1, 2, 3) -

PS: Due to some technical issues, this is a reposting of an old blog post of similar content and is backdated to reflect the actual timeframe of the mentioned content.

AFC U23 Qualifiers - Philippines 0-1 Singapore 281021

"Hey, ref! Look!"

A wondering strike from outside the box by Glenn Kweh was enough to keep Singapore U22's hopes alive in the ongoing AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifier, as the Cubs beat the Philippines 1-0 last evening(28/10).

The 21-year-old took his chance well before unleashing a piledriver with his left foot in the 51st minute to spark celebrations among the crowds at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

It was Kweh's second goal of the campaign after he scored the first goal in the Cubs' opener against Timor Leste.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

AFC U23 Qualifiers - South Korea 5-1 Singapore 311021

Nur Adam scored the consolation against the Koreans

The match against their South Korean counterparts was almost like a dead rubber for the Singapore U22 squad, after the preceding tie saw Timor-Leste beat the Philippines in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers last evening (31/10) at the JBS.

It all got to a bad start after the Cubs found themselves conceding two early goals inside ten minutes before ending 4-0 at the interval. With the Koreans added in their fifth goal in the 52nd minute, Nur Adam Abdullah scored the consolation goal for the hosts with a well-executed right-footer in the 57th minute.

The wide gulf apart is for all to see, as we saw how the Koreans utilized their much superior pace and tactical capabilities to teach the Singapore boys a lesson they shall never forget.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

The name is fixed? (created using meme generator)

After months of anticipation, we are given some updates on the Unleash The Roar! (UTR!) project days ago.

When I first read about it, my main concern would be the sustainability of those ten School Football Academies (SFAs) schools (ie: resources like financial, manpower, etc.) which are the cornerstones of the update.

Are we getting full support from the Ministry of Education (MOE) on the setting up of these SFA schools? Let's hope so, especially it seems to me past blueprints like "Goal 2010" did not have the backing of the educators.

Besides MOE who must wholeheartedly support the "SFA" concept, I think to convince the parents of this UTR! is a viable project is equally important too.

Parentage support is important to UTR!

While it seems that the UTR! received a booster with Borussia Dortmund (BvB) and LaLiga coming on board as strategic partners, there are concerns of the roles to be played by them who are being viewed as commercial entities by some.

"... with the UTR! working with these commercial entities (BvB and LaLiga) which exist in this region for their marketing and branding objectives, for our country's technical development, are we getting what we need or buying what is sold to us?" queried football consultant Khairul Asyraf.

Citing the example of Qatar Aspire Academy on how they recruit the best foreign technical talents to develop their local athletes, Khairul opined the Qatari infrastructure is created with their expertise, using foreign technology for the local context.

"We must build what is here first, these foreign links can come later when our cream can really compete or will benefit from stints and time there." added the former youth coach.

(P.S: Seems like the name of the project is confirmed?)

RELATED MEDIA REPORTS

- 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍 -

Promotion poster featuring Singapore National Team players for AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 at Bishan MRT station

An IG poll was conducted to see how many noticed this poster

There is some marketing buzz going on for the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup though I am not sure how many noticed this banner while strolling along this busy walkway of Bishan MRT station?

Not that far away from this station is Bishan Stadium - the venue for most of the Group B matches. One thing to take note of is the stadium is installed with a new natural grass surface (picture below) which I had a look at recently from the nearby Bishan Sports Hall.

Being a surface that was only laid not that long ago, not sure if it is able to withstand the robustness of the team like the Vietnamese who are known for their pace. (maybe someone with some horticultural knowledge can answer that)?

The newly re-turfed surface of Bishan Stadium

Will Vietnam thrive on this new surface?

In the meantime, the delay in the announcement of the ticketing and broadcasting details caused some anxieties among the local fans during the run-up to the biennial showpiece.

Yet when the ticketing details were announced on 27th November, there was some uproar over the prices to be borne by the fans (despite some concessions offered for early bird purchasing) and some other issues.

50% each of poll participant responded their preferred mode to watch AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 - one half watching broadcast, another half preferred at venue

A check on IG story to ask how many bought their AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 tickets

Two IG polls were conducted to gauge the sentiments

Nonetheless, despite all the ruckus among some supporters, it was announced that the opening double-header on the 5th of November is a "sold-out" for allocations meant for Singapore fans.

And perhaps to make things easier for those who decided to stay away, it was announced that Mediacorp, the national public broadcaster, will show all the 26 matches on their streaming platform.

But appreciation must be given to those who are behind the scene to make the hosting of this tournament possible in such a tumultuous period.

Thank you for your effort.

- 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍 -

Plenty of blunders were made in the official tournament programme of AFF Suzuki Cup 2020, according to a friend of mine.

In a series of text messages, my friend highlighted these mistakes with illustrations forwarded for my reference.

"TWO-LEGGED" ONLY STARTED IN 2004
On the "Roll of Honour' page of the programme (as illustrated), said my friend: "From 2004, the knockout stage is played over two legs on a home-and-away format.", pointed out using those emojis on the glaring mistakes made such as wrongly listed Singapore beat Vietnam "on aggregate" to win her first international honour - the Tiger Cup in 1998.

"My friend" claimed this was a 1997 SEA Games team photo

The next things being singled out were the wrong Singapore team photo used in introducing the tournament history and the name of the tournament.

"(It was the) wrong (Singapore team) photo used on 1996 First ever “AFF Suzuki Cup”, (it) should be (called the) Tiger Cup. I believe this photo was between Indonesia vs Singapore in 1997 SEA Games semi-finals." pointed out by my friend who always has keen eyes on details.

To illustrate the point that David Lee was still the first-choice goalkeeper for Singapore in the inaugural tournament, a link to YouTube clip of the 1996 Tiger Cup match between the Lions and Malaysia (above, shared from "farissen3" Youtube channel) played at the old National Stadium was shared with me.

FIRST WAS THE TIGER
In 1996, local brewers Asia Pacific Breweries (APB), makers of the world-renowned pale-lager Tiger Beer was named the title sponsors of the ASEAN Football Federation Championship (less formally the AFF Championship), thus giving the name "Tiger Cup".

"👆" pointed out where the errors are by "My Friend"

The name "Tiger Cup" was last used in the 2004 edition when Singapore secured her second title of this tournament by beating Indonesia on aggregate, as highlighted earlier being the first edition to see knockout stages "played over two legs on a home-and-away format".

Suzuki Motor Corporation only began their association with this biennial regional showpiece when they were first named as the title sponsors of the AFF Championship in 2008, thus giving the name AFF Suzuki Cup ever since.

Almost every day when I woke up, I always asked myself what can BoLASEPaKO.com do to help Singapore football?

Honestly speaking, I didn't see myself asking that question when I set up my first version of the platform using a free website provider back in December 1996.

The special "Juli Perak" logo will complete its mission soon

After all, the nucleus of this platform is to allow me to share my views on local football after I was, all of a sudden, repeatedly denied from posting my views on an online forum.

Furthermore, the updating of the site was done from a public terminal, which was subjected to availability, and maintaining its consistency was a challenge, as compared to these days when it can be done easily on the move.

I would say the breakthrough came in October 2005 when I decided to switch to the present format by using the online blogging tool for archival purposes instead of continuing of utilizing the now-defunct online website provider.

Thus, it is most unfortunate to see those works before October 2005 not being archived with the printed version of the platform's first update in December 1996 as the only evidence to claim its origin.

The first page uploaded on BoLASEPaKO.com in 1996

How "BoLASEPaKO" first looked like

Perhaps, the decision to register a proper domain, BoLASEPaKO.com, in 2008 is a testament to show my commitment to help the local game within my means.

My involvement in the scene ever since witnessed the highs such as the crowning glory that saw the clinching of the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2012 with fans packing the Jalan Besar Stadium to give Raddy Avramovic and his Lions a hero reception after they won the country's fourth Asean title and the lows like seeing the crowd figures plummeting at the games and diminished interest of the S.League (now known as Singapore Premier League).

It is heartbreaking to see negativities and criticism targeted towards the local game, especially from those whom I considered as sitting on the fence critics and those having misunderstood opinions on it when they don't see the efforts put in by many unsung heroes behind the scene to improve it.

"BOLGNET" - versatile magnet, one of BoLASEPaKO.com's merchandise

"BOLGNET" at National Stadium

eThe lack of positive vibes in recent years does not help Singapore football to give any random local fan the confidence and faith that it can pull itself from the doldrums when negative occurrences are the ones that often caught the masses' attention, inevitably, deepen that aforementioned misunderstood opinion.

So how are we going to correct this skewed view on Singapore football?

One of the things I can think of now is all of us, whoever it is, it could be you, I, or anyone must now view Singapore football as a piece of blank paper waiting to be painted with a new set of colours to give itself that long-awaited vibrancy.

"BOCAP" - the iconic cap of BoLASEPaKO.com

"BOCAP" at National Stadium

Sharing of opinions for the betterment of the local game must be allowed to withstand any form of criticism while embracing those ideas that may sound out of the box.

Having an open mindset is exactly what Singapore football needs most now, as we shall set ourselves to embark on a new journey even on small steps in the hope to achieve what we all hope in the end - the pride and joy it used to gel this country together.

No time to waste on searching for Coach Yoshida's replacement

No point in crying over a cup of spilled milk when the utmost task for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is to seek an immediate replacement for outgoing Tatsuma Yoshida as the Singapore National Team Head Coach.

As mentioned in the press release announcing the Japanese tactician's departure after steering the Lions to the AFF Suzuki Cup semis for the first time since 2012, the FAS "will commence with the search for a permanent replacement for Tatsuma in January 2022" in order to prepare for the third and final round of qualification for the Asian Cup in next June

After all, have we not learned from the past that dragging their feet in naming a replacement for the national coach would have a detrimental effect.

Even if a permanent replacement is not possible in time, getting someone on an interim basis should be one option to ensure the preparation for the Asian Cup qualifiers not be disrupted after the conclusion of the draw next February.

REGRETTABLE TIMING TO QUIT

It is regrettable that Coach Yoshida had to leave Singapore at a time when there is sizable support from the players and fans alike, as shown on various social media posting, following the heart-breaking exit from the AFF Suzuki Cup.

And many would expect the 47-year-old former Jurong FC player to build on the positive momentum by continuing to guide the Lions to seek their first-ever qualification by merit to play in the Asian Cup (Singapore last played in the continent's marquee tournament as hosts in 1984).

Alas, it is not going to be the case and I cannot help but think the whole process had just hit the kerb.

Given such a short space of time, it would not be feasible to seek a foreign replacement who would need time to understand the whole local setup, etc.

Having said that, who would possibly step in to take over the mantle if the priority is to get a local coach in this short pressing timeframe?

Furthermore, who would believe this would happen when Coach Yoshida said "it was an easy decision for me to continue this project in Singapore" when he inked his extension to next December in February this year?

Indonesia (red) and Thailand (blue) are finalists of AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 Final (credit: Jaron Lee)

While it may seem like a different concept when he made the suggestion in 1977, but the ongoing AFF Suzuki Cup - a tournament contested by Asean nations should be the brainchild of Indonesian Benny Moelyono.

Speaking to The Straits Times during 1978 Pre-World Cup qualifiers, the then Indonesia assistant team manager proposed an "Asean Cup soccer tournament, run along the lines of the UEFA Cup"

According to Moelyono, Asean "needs is a meaningful competition," and invitation tournaments like King's Cup (of Thailand), Merdeka Cup (Tournament of Malaysia) were for the "sake of it" which did not arouse national spirit like the Asean tournament he proposed.

The idea of "Asean Cup" first mooted in 1977 (credit: NLB archive)

"I'm sure it would be a success. Besides helping Asean countries improve their soccer standards, the tournament would foster closer ties among the nations" said Moelyono, as quoted in the said article.

Unfortunately, this innovative suggestion by the man who was also the chairman of Warna Agung - one of Indonesia's leading clubs in the 1970s did not have any tangible follow-up after it was made to the Singapore broadsheet.

IDEA RESURFACED IN 1995

The idea of the genuine tournament to decide the regional supremacy resurfaced with the formation of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) in 1984 and initially, the plan was to hold the "Asean Cup" in March 1996 in Bangkok, according to a Straits Times report dated August 1995.

The dream finally turned reality with the inaugural of the "Tiger Cup" in September 1996 with 10 teams participating in this groundbreaking tournament (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand with hosts Singapore were named as founding participants, while Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam were invited to take part as they were not full AFF members at that point of time).

THE BORN OF THE "TIGER CUP"

After some negotiations perceived to be taken place towards the end of 1995, local brewers Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) - the brewers of Tiger Beer committed themselves as the title sponsors of the tournament which grew to be the focal point of South East Asian football in years to come.

In the words of Charlie Charters, the then group sales manager of AML, the Hong Kong-based agency which helped to clinch the sponsorship: "The Asean region does not have a true championship. You can't really call the SEA (South-east Asia) Games champion the champion of the region."

That sentiment was echoed by the then Thai FA general secretary Worawi Makudi.

The ticket to the 2004 Tiger Cup Final (2nd-Leg)

"Thailand won the SEA Games last year (1995) but I do not consider my own country the champion of South East Asia until we have won the Tiger Cup here in September (1996)." said Worawi in one New Paper (TNP) report published on February 1996.

In the same TNP report that carried Charters' words in January 1996, it was reported Singapore as the host nation was "given the subsidy for running the two-week tournament from Sept 1-14." and the winning team of the "Tiger Cup", as what it would be called, would be awarded the cash prize-money of US$80,000.

2007 - AFF CHAMPIONSHIP

The tournament's association with Singapore-based pale lager came to an end when the APB decided not to renew their commitment after concluding the 2004 Tiger Cup which saw Singapore beat Indonesia 5-2 on aggregate to clinch their second title of this tournament.

The media pass of the 2007 AFF Championship

As the result, the tournament was simply known as the "2007 AFF Championship" without a title sponsor before Japanese car manufacturers Suzuki Motor Corporation was named the title sponsors of the AFF Championship (formally called the ASEAN Football Federation Championship) ever since.

Izwan Mahbud switched to LCS

🚨 So much hoo-ha today (8/1) on the latest Lion City Sailors' (LCS) recruitment of both Izwan Mahbud and M Anumanthan.

💭 A friend of mine asked me about my thoughts on Izwan's signing for the Sailors, the following are some of my thoughts.

👍 On the positive side, it makes the contest for the number one spot more intense which is good, be it on the club or national team (NT) level.

🔄 I would like to think Coach Kim Do-hoon intends to rotate both Hassan Sunny and Izwan, given the packed calendar LCS be having.

Happy headache for Coach Kim (credit: LCS)

⚠️ Having either one of them sit on the bench for too long isn't gonna do any good, given their importance to the NT who have both Asian Cup qualifiers and Suzuki Cup coming up later this year.

🧐 I would think Izwan be staying put at Hougang United where he would have more playing time to allow him to impress whoever is going to be the NT coach.

🐴 In the meantime, there are some quibbles on the ground over the fear of turning the Singapore Premier League into a "one-horse race" with the way LCS doing their things.

💭 I think the onus is with the other clubs to think what way the rest of the league can innovate in other means besides money to complete with Sailors, rather than sit at one corner to lick the wounds.

⚠️ Like one club official once said: "If you aim for mediocrity, you will get mediocre results."

🤔 These are my initial thoughts

Kyoga Nakamura's deal - a bigger news

I can sense that excitement when Tampines Rovers surprised everyone when they dished out an unprecedented contract to bind Kyoga Nakamura for the next five years.

After all, a commitment for that duration is something unheard of in local football where it was a common thing to see one or, if lucky, a two-year contract for the players.

Furthermore, it came at a time when the economy is not doing well when most of us are worrying about our bread and butter.

CONTINUING OF THE HYPE?

The surfacing of this development definitely gave us a "wow" reaction, and probably something of a continuation of hype after the heroics of the Lions that melted the hearts of the nation in the recent AFF Suzuki Cup followed by the signing of Izwan Mahbud and M Anumanthan to the big-spending Lion City Sailors (LCS).

Not forgetting Albirex Niigata (Singapore) made eyes turn when they roped in former Japanese international Tadanari Lee (Lee is famous for scoring the winning goal for Japan in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup final, as shown in the attached clip)- a break from their usual recruitment policy of signing young Japanese and local players.

MENTORING ROLE FOR LEE AND KIM

But, like a friend said, the role and presence of Lee and Kim Shin-wook, his peer in LCS, should be someone in a mentoring role to bring the best out of their younger teammates and something would be wrong if both veterans found their names on the scoreboard more often than their juniors.

Last but not least, is it a wise move for a foreign player to be tied down by such a lengthy contract for his career advancement?

Of course, we cannot doubt Kyoga when he mentioned how he loves Singapore and blah, blah, blah (if not why would he want to commit his prime years in football backwaters like ours?).

Nonetheless, in this era of uncertainties, it is always good to have a backup option by not putting all the eggs in a basket.

"Matchpix" - Aug 2021

[Telegram Chat] - WHY YOU HAD THE HEART TO HURT THE LOVE

Free Tickets - Boost Or Bane?

[Telegram Chat] - 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐄 ...

[Telegram Chat] - 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘, 𝐂𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒

"Matchpix" - Sep 2021

[Telegram Chat] - 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐈𝐓

[Telegram Chat] 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃

Preserving The Legacy of Those Who Toiled For Singapore Football

[Telegram Chat] - 𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐄, 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄

[Telegram Chat] - 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐄 ...

"Matchpix" - Oct 2021

[Telegram Chat] - 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒?

[Telegram Chat] - 𝐓𝐔𝐌𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐔𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐏 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐔𝐙𝐔𝐊𝐈 𝐂𝐔𝐏

[AFF SUZUKI CUP 2020] Glaring ERRORS In The Official Programme

[Annual Review] Having an open mindset (Jubli Perak)

[Telegram Chat] - 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐌 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐑𝐔𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

[AFF Suzuki Cup 2020] Was It Benny's Idea In 1977?

[Telegram Chat] - 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄-𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄

[Telegram Chat] - 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐄𝐆𝐆𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐓

CONTINUING OF THE HYPE?

MENTORING ROLE FOR LEE AND KIM