Wishful Thinking...

I am not sure how the whole phenomena started, following the announcement of the FAS-FAM MOU at Kuala Lumpur.

Seen as a mere exercise to foster better footballing tie of both countries with each side will send a team to take part in each other's domestic league as a "cornerstone" arrangement in this symbolic partnership.

The next thing we saw was a huge "PR machinery" that went ahead on the mainstream media to stir the nostalgic emotions long locked in some of the fans' hearts with daily dosage of old pictures from "good ol' day" coupled with those "feel good" sentiments from those who endorsed the move to the so-called "rejoining the Malaysia Cup" as "positive move to save our football".

Pages of nostalgic tales filled up the columns after the MOU was inked

While on the other hand, only on the cyberspace where harshest opinions can be seen from the monitor screen condemning the move that many seen as a "step backward" for our local football.

"I think they over estimate the demand for the (Malaysia) Cup. This time next year, S League will have died; Malaysia-Singapore thing will be old news" said one of those whom I spoke to over the last few days.

Other than that, a joke i saw on my Facebook feed goes like this -  "Vietnam plans to top ASEAN in 2020, Japan aim to win World cup in 2050. Singapore?​ Champions of Malaysia in 2012 "

Local football can be sexy again but not using intangible gimmick like what we were told

This announcement of the joint MOU came months later after the regrouping of the national team following the shock disbandment of the national team as the result of the poor showing at last year's Suzuki Cup.

The move seems like a master stroke fitted in nicely to resuscitate the ailing local football scene, a move perceived to be that by most mainstreamers, despite the small renaissance after morale-boasting win over the "auld enemy" - Malaysia that had us to be featured group stages of World Cup qualification.

Or rather not?

As these massive "wayang" of late can only concluded one thing - CLUELESS.

We are absolutely CLUELESS, LOST IN THE JUNGLE of what we are supposed to do remedy the woes we are facing.

Like mentioned, allowing another foreign team into the S.League and sending a "Singapore" team to play in the Malaysian League had eventually disqualified countries of both sides of the Causeway a chance to be part of the Asian Champions League (ACL) - the pinnacle of Asian club competition and all these in the name of fostering better ties which denied a chance to excel at the top - wise move, eh?

Sorry Doc, I beg the difference and I take it that you or your advisers aren't fully aware the problems local football is facing and issued the statement above.

Even if playing at the continent's highest level is not longer top of the priority (one of the key components under the "Strategic Plan" which spelled out "being among the top 10 ranked teams in Asia by 2015."), I thought get your house in order should be the top most priority?

It has always been the biggest bugbear to see the league in stagnancy over those problems that besieged for long and now and then seem many of those dwindling faithfuls being presented with those half-executed plans that not faithfully followed.

With the latest development that sent shock wave throughout the football fraternity in Singapore, it undoubtedly seen by many hard-core S.League supporters as move to discredit the league we call our own.

Days ago I was asked of my opinion about this whole "wayang" after maintain my silence over it.

"To me, it's like your house is in a mess and you're just clueless how to clean it up even you are given the broom, duster and detergent." I said to those who asked me

"And with the paint of the walls peeling off, they thought they can get some pieces of wall papers to patch up and invite some guests over for a visit."

"So in the end, you're not solving the problems we are facing after all.."

Having said that, I think I should also put myself in order before "kena" backfire for comments I made...LOL

[Media Information] Singapore to face China PR, Jordan and Iraq in the Third Round of the 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL ™ ASIAN QUALIFIERS

{Media Information from the Football Association of Singapore}

The image of the Official Emblem of 2014 World Cup is obtained from the official 2014 World Cup site

SINGAPORE, 31 July 2011: Preliminary Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™

The Preliminary Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ was held in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday 30 July 2011.

Singapore, having defeated Malaysia with a 6-4 aggregate over two legs earlier this month were in Pot 4 of the Asian Qualification Zone (Third Round) along with Thailand, Indonesia, Korea DPR and Lebanon.

Brazil’s legendary Zico along with rising star Lucas from Sao Paolo were on hand to conduct the ASIAN Zone draw and decide the fate of how things would unfold over in third round.

As the draw took shape, Singapore was picked and grouped with China PR, Jordan and Iraq in Group A.

Also in the spotlight was the intercontinental play-off draw which paired Asia’s representative with their South American counterpart while the CONCACAF representative will take on a team from the OCEANIA.

Coach Raddy's concern then would be the congested league fixtures and players' condition come September.

FIXTURES OF THE GROUP STAGES QUALIFIERS

• Match day 1 (2 Sep 2011): China vs Singapore
• Match day 2 (6 Sep 2011): Singapore vs Iraq
• Match day 3 (11 Oct 2011): Singapore vs Jordan
• Match day 4 (11 Nov 2011): Jordan vs Singapore
• Match day 5 (15 Nov 2011): Singapore vs China
• Match day 6 (29 Feb 2012): Iraq vs Singapore

Sorry... I was not concentrating..

As I was filing my match report for the earlier 3rd-4th placing match between Home United and Tampines Rovers that I wasn't paying much attention during the League Cup final match between Hougang United and Albirex Niigata (Singapore).

But what I did realize was Canadian winger Jordan Webb was the man of the night for the wrong reason when he came so close to end the trophy drought of the under-achievers in the dying moments of the second half of the extra time, before agonizingly saw his spot-kick saved by White Swans' keeper Yoshito Matsushita that gifted the Japanese their first ever title since joining S.League in 2003.

According to one of the tweets I gathered Webb was inconsolable that he was not present at the prize presentation.

 At the post match press conference, the Cheetah coach Aide Iskandar (pictured above) credited his boys' performance as "well-disciplined" which he hopes to carry forward to their remaining campaign.

"Both teams started cautiously and it was never easy for us having played four games in ten days, but it was an entertaining game that unfortunately had to settle on penalties.

"The boys did everything in this game and now we just have to look forward to the Singapore Cup, also their (Albirex) win tonight shown the quality they have that they aren't here to make up numbers and this is best Albirex side I seen in years." said the former national skipper at the end of the day lauded his opponents' achievement.

Starting his session at the post match presser, Albirex coach Koichi Sugiyama (pictured above right with skipper Shimpei Sakurada) commented that:"While we did not play a high-tempo game we normally associated with, we maintained the possessive style of play till the end of the day.

"Hougang is a very good team and to able to beat them under such circumstances also meant my team are mentally strong as well, as they are a fast and aggressive side." opined coach Sugiyama on his fellow finalists.

"At the same time, I would like to thank the whosoever is involved with the club for the victory tonight and with that we will now channel our attention in the S.League title race,  as well as the Singapore Cup."

P.S: The commemorative T-Shirt is not for sale...

"With this win tonight, we are hoping for many moments like this to come after this." said the Japanese coach who made the bold declaration during the pre-season introductory session his aim is to win the league title who was met with with skepticism then.

[Instant Reaction] Why I sometimes hate football

At the final whsitle (from TV screen)

Just because it caused my irregular heart beat with the tempo of the match swing up and down.

It was definitely a sign of relief to see the referee blew the final whistle to signal the end of the match amid a tense atmosphere at the 80,000 Bukit Jalil Stadium.

Yet again, Hariss Harun had the game of his life following that "thumb-up" performance on Saturday at Jalan Besar with his flawless performance and combination with Fahrudin Mustafic in the middle of park that added the steel in front our backline, who were much under criticism over the last weekend's display, but redeemed themselves for a much better showing this time.

Even though, the only glitch they had was ball watching that allowed Harimau's skipper of the night, Safee Sali to finish off easily after they thought the referee would have blew for a perceived infringement.

But Jiayi's equalizer in the 72nd minute silenced the crowds, after he latched on perfectly onto Alek Duric's flick heading pass to slot past the outstanding Malaysian custodian Fahmi Che Mat.

BTW... is the MOU still valid??

Gearing for the BIG ONE- Hariss Harun

(The entry is formulated from the transcript obtained via Integrated Marketing Solutions Group -IMSG, the PR agency of Nike Singapore)

(P.S: The copyrights of the images and video depicted in this blog entry belong to Nike, unless stated on the images itself.)

With its "DRI-FIT" apparel and Tiempo Legend by Nike, Hariss is always at the top of his game

His performance on the last Saturday night captivated those who were at the Jalan Besar Stadium and also the millions of those who watched the crucial World Cup Qualifier match between Singapore and Malaysia at home.

Such an eye-catching display against the Harimaus by the 20 year-old Hariss Harun who stamped his authority in the midfield had prompted a single-out by various local coaches for renowned football agent Jorge Mendes, alongside with four others, who is presently scouting for players having potential playing in top European leagues.

Just less than 24 hours before the two fierce rivals of South East Asian football are due to meet again for the second-leg of the "Causeway Derby" at the expected sell-out 85,000 Bukit Jalil Stadium, the Courts Young Lions skipper shares some of his thoughts on the unique footballing rivalry.




Said the youngest ever Singapore international, who made his debut against North Korea in 2007, on his thoughts on the first leg:"We showed that we could get the goals but we need to get things tighter all over the pitch, especially in defence and midfield, That’s the most important thing for the second game."

"It won’t be easy in Bukit Jalil. The Malaysians will makes all kinds of noise to get behind their team. The most important thing for us is to psychologically keep our heads in the game and focus on the job at hand, because we have an advantage on our side. We must not let it slip and we have to tighten things up and hit them when we can." said Hariss on the hostile reception he and his team will be expected on 28th of July.

Hariss did well to shield the ball from Malaysian defender Mahalli Jasuli

Which is why it spur the Lions to be more determine to overcome the obstacle in front of them to see themselves make it the group stages of the World Cup Qualification for the second time on a roll, as the defensive midfielder explains.

"Fans and people only remember champions. I want to be remembered, I want my team to be remembered, so we want to win as many tournaments as possible.

"We qualified for the third round the last time so that will be the target this time round. We also aim to do well in this year’s SEA Games as well as next year’s Suzuki Cup." he said.

"I think this is the time for redemption for the national team. The last 2 Suzuki Cups were not the real Singapore. We need to see the real Singapore and I think it’s time now." added the player who is due for the mandatory National Service this year.

Leaky defence continued to haunt both sides of Causeway...

The crazy scoreline had protruded the leaky defensive woes facing both Singapore and Malaysia in this much-anticipated "Causeway Derby" for the ticket to the group stages of the Asian World Cup Qualification.

"Farra" scored in the 44th minute to make it 3-1 to Singapore

It was virtually a game of two halves with Singapore shackled off the early scare for letting the Malaysians to score in the first minute through dangerman Safee Sali by walloped four goals in reply from Aleksandar Duric, Qiu Li, Fahrudin Mustafic and Shi Jiayi before the end of first half.

Like a friend who said the problem facing the Lions is that they looked lost the moment they were given a commanding lead.

"It just that they don't know what to do next when they are having such a comfortable lead as in whether to defend or attack." said this friend whom I met while on my way home after the game.

Safee Sali's second goal in 71st minute gave the Harimau the much-needed boast.

It was a worst possible start to the second half when right back Ismail Yunos was given the marching order by referee Nawaf Shukralla of Bahrain for his second yellow card offence in the 55th minute.

"It just that they don't know what to do next when they are having such a comfortable lead as in whether to defend or attack." said this friend whom I met while on my way home after the game.

Timely tackle by Dan Bennett on Safee Sali but his partnership with Safuwan Baharudin in middle of defence looked shaky at time.

It was a worst possible start to the second half when right back Ismail Yunos was given the marching order by referee Nawaf Shukralla of Bahrain for his second yellow card offence in the 55th minute.

With the exit of the Gombak United defender, coach Raddy had to switch Home United's Shi Jiayi from his usual attacking midfield position to replace the void left by Ismail.

(Pictured above) S Kunanlan (16) was a constant threat of the Lions from the left flank

The move seems to benefit the Harimau with the running of the ball by pacey winger S Kunanlan constantly threatened the flank supposedly to be marshalled by Jiayi and eventually had the Malaysians to score two goals in the second period of the game from Hadi Yahaya in the 70th minute and another Safee's strike a minute later.

While Duric's 82nd strike had given us the two-goal margin, but it's still plenty of things for both coach Raddy and his counterpart Datuk K Rajagobal what to figure next when the two meet again on coming Thursday at Bukit Jalil especially when the Malaysians saw their skipper Safiq Rahim sent off as well in 50th minute on a foul on Hariss Harun.

PICTURES FROM POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE

Malaysia coach Datuk K Rajagobal shares his thoughts on the match.

"It was a best start we had into this game, but after that the defence just collapsed and I felt Singapore played the ball more on the flanks and feed in Duric with all the high balls.

"But we came back in the second half after I told my players that we shouldn't concede more goals and had to raise the tempo of the game that they did."

"For me 5-3 is a crazy scoreline that is exciting for crowds and football, but not for me." said Malaysian coach Datuk K Rajagobal.

Coach Raddy looks ahead to the returning leg at Bukit Jalil this coming Thursay

"It was an exciting game that everyone wants to win and I felt that the first half we used more of our head than emotion and the second half, while I expected the Malaysia to attack, but it was a lapse of moment that allowed them to score the two goals." said coach Raddy after the game.

"I think both Daniel (Bennett) and Safuwan (Baharudin) should gain from this game in term of improving the communication of both of them, also I'm glad to see Qiu Li last for almost a full game with Izwan (Mahbud) making some critical saves in the game." added coach Raddy on several aspects of his team performance.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

The heat is on for the "Causeway Derby"

(Pictured above from left to right) Singapore skipper Shahril Ishak, coach Raddy Avramovic, Malaysia coach Datuk K Rajagobal and captain Safiq Rahim

Rain came unexpected when I reached Tanjong Pagar area for the pre-match press conference for the World Cup Qualifier between Singapore and Malaysia aka "Causeway Derby" (being the fact that the island republic is connected to the Peninsular Malaysia by the bridge known as the Causeway).

It is a match that would normally guarantee a "sell-out" given the rich footballing heritage that bond these two lands since the colonial times.

To the Singapore team, it's an examination that coach Raddy Avramovic and his Lions since the .... (if you read the papers of late, I shouldn't repeat here) have to take to see any improvement being achieved since then.

To the Harimau, it set a stage to reaffirm their regional supremacy after winning two of the most important titles this part of the world - the AFF Suzuki Cup and the SEA Games gold medal.

With the two recent friendly matches against English powerhouses - Arsenal and Liverpool in front of huge crowd at the 80,000 capacity Bukit Jalil stadium, it is undoubtedly the Malaysian are well-prepared for this fixture.

A view that is shared by Malaysian skipper Safiq Rahim (pictured above) during the presser, when he said:"Playing against top teams like Arsenal and Liverpool definitely help us in our preparation against Singapore."

"But in game like this, it also about capitalize the opponents' weakness and win the game" he added.

While his counterpart, Lions' skipper Shahril Ishak (pictured below) hopes certain factors will give his team the advantage in tomorrow's match.

"We have to utilize a lot of advantages we have in this game, such as playing on the artificial surface, which I hope my team can make full use of the familiarity of it.

"After all, it'll be a good match as we are expected a full house which will be exciting to play in." said the Medan Chiefs midfielder.

While both coaches - coach Raddy and Datuk K Rajagobal highlighted the significance of having the two sides playing each other.

(Pictured above) Coach Raddy listen attentively to media queries.

"It's great to have match like this, as it helps Singapore to do better in Asia and I am looking forward to more games like this in the future." said the Serbian tactical who led Singapore to two successive Tiger Cup victories in 2005 and 2007.

Malaysian coach Datuk K Rajagobal answers media queries.

Echoed that similar sentiment by Malaysia coach, Datuk Rajagobal opined:"There's a lot of history in Singapore-Malaysia game that it's never an easy game to play and it's a game I am looking forward to and hope to be an interesting one."

INFORMATION OF "LIVE" SCREENING AT PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION LAWN

Due to the sell-out of this much anticipated match, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) together with its partners, namely the People's Association (PA), Singapore Sports Council (SSC), Singapore Pools and cable television provide Starhub had come together to host a ‘live’ screening of the match between Singapore and Malaysia on 23rd July at 7.30pm at the PA's HQ lawn (pictured below).

Large TV screen will be set up on the PA's lawn (located right opposite JBS)

"Due to the overwhelming response, and the growing interest in this match between Singapore and Malaysia, we have embraced the feedback from the fans and in the past few days, have been working alongside our PA friends to provide an alternative viewing platform for supporters to comes together to cheer on the Lions as they take on Malaysia”, said FAS president Mr Zainudin Nordin in a media statement.

The entry to the People’s Association lawn would only be open to public at 6.30pm, organisers would like to advise the public not to drive but to take public transportation i.e. bus and train. The nearest MRT station is Lavender and Farrer Park MRT stations.

As Jalan Besar Stadium is expecting a 6,000 sell-out crowd and the carpark facility is limited within the premises. The nearest public carpark is located at the ICA Building, City Square Mall.

In anticipate of huge turnout at the "Causeway Derby", all essential safety and security measures had been tighten up according FAS.

"We have had multiple security meetings to ensure that things will run smoothly on match-day and security measures that will ensure that the event goes according to plan." said FAS spokesperson Kelvin Leong in reply to the query from this blog.

Beside its normal deployment on typical match day, it is made known that CISCO officers will be roped in beef up the security during the match.

Public is also advised not to bring in prohibited items such as Flags on metal / wooden poles, alcoholic drinks, Flares and Fireworks.

(Details and information of the live screening extracted from the media information by the Football Association of Singapore)

REST OF THE DAY'S PICTURES CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING HERE.

JOB VACANCY: S.League CEO

(This entry is formulated from the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore)

 A new management structure will be in place to lead the S.League Strategic Business Unit.

In a media statement issued by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on Tuesday evening, it is also made known that the present S.League CEO Winston Lee, who serves concurrently as the FAS Secretary-General, will be relinquished the post he served since taking over in 2006.

“In view of the extensive workload, coupled with the fact that we have more resources, we have decided to strengthen the management of S.League. We will build a management team for S.League and this team will be headed by the CEO of S.League.” said FAS president Zainudin Nordin in the statement.

It is understood that the role of the S.League CEO had been redefined and will report to a separate Executive Committee that would include persons of commercial experience in sports marketing and branding.

Following his relinquishment as the league's CEO, Lee will continue his role as the Secretary-General that included the task of oversee the implementation of the FAS Strategic Plan and also chairing the Asean Super League committee.

Meanwhile, FAS adviser Associate Prof Ho Peng Kee, Ms Jessie Phua, Mr Lim Teck Yin and Mr Zainudin himself will be part of a selection panel to search the suitable candidate to fill the void to be vacant by Lee.

Honestly... not a perfect win for the Lions...

The Singapore team bench before the kick-off

I did something I seldom do during a football match - switch side ... in order to get some shots from stocking my archive.

We were told to confine ourselves to a small white perimeter box located at the far corner of the field that to our dismay with much of action taken place on the opposite flank.

So not surprisingly, it from that flank saw Hariss Harun floated the cross that was to be finished off by Aleksandar Duric from close range which the Taiwanese claimed the veteran marksman was offside in 17th minute.

Duric's opener in the 17th minute was claimed offside by the Taiwanese.

Soon after the match restarted in the second half, the Lions failed to build up from where they left behind and were uncharacteristically allowed the Taiwanese to equalize in the early period of the second half through Lo Chih An.

But Duric responded well in the 54th minute when he muscled pass the porous Taiwanese defence before planted in his second of the night, however, the hosts' joy were short-lived when Chinese Taipei again shocked the crowds at Jalan Besar with Hiang Shih Lu's goal to level the scores in the 62nd minute.

Shahdan Sulaiman wasted a chance as the Taiwanese 'keeper beats him to the ball

Still determine not willing to see a draw result to blemish its preparation leading up to the crucial World Cup qualifier this coming Saturday against Malaysia, SAFFC striker Fazrul Nawaz finished off from close range in the 82nd minute to give Singapore the victory.

Honestly speaking, it was not one of the best performance considered how the goals were conceded (from where I positioned) and the lack of the clinical finishing is something do need to take note of...

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

Countdown to the "Causeway Derby"....

While waiting for a friend outside Jalan Besar Stadium, I saw a car slowed down along the way.

"Tiket bola mana?" asked the driver of the Johor licensed plate vehicle in Malay, as he would like to know where could he buy the tickets for the 2014 World Cup Qualifier match between Singapore and Malaysia.

"Dah habis lah..." I replied to him implied that all tickets to the "Causeway Derby" had been snapped up before 2:30pm after gone on sale since 8am in the morning with some eager fans queuing up overnight to snap the tickets.

The Lions in warming up.

"It's great to see fans coming back again." said veteran striker Aleksandar Duric after the first day of centralized training session on his thoughts of sell-out crowd be anticipated at Jalan Besar on the 23rd of July clash with the Harimau.

"Probably because we are playing against Malaysia, but it's great to see a full house in Jalan Besar which I hope the fans will cheer for us during the game and we will do our best in this very important game." added the 41 year-old Tampines Rovers striker.

Under the watchful eyes of fitness trainer "Sasha", the Lions put through the drills

Concurring those thoughts, national coach Raddy Avramovic opined:"I hope fans would turn up and to see a good game, as normally you would try to win and that's what we want to do."

After putting the team to the drills, coach Raddy is pleased with what he had seen during the one-and-half hour session.

"It's good to see them altogether as a group although some of the players could not join us in the training due to injuries like Lionel (abductor) and (Khairul) Nizam who is having some problem with his hamstring, but other players they look good in the today's session." said the Serb tactician.

Coach Raddy (wearing white cap) oversee the procedures.

While asked if upcoming Monday's friendly match against Chinese Taipei, would see coach Raddy confirm his first eleven selection.

"Probably, we are going to see three changes into this game and see who and where we want to play which we will try out during this game.

"After I seen them played against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, I think they (Chinese Taipei) are capable of some good passing football and play well as a unit, which I think is good to play against them." he concluded.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE PICTURES.

A voice of a 14 year-old fan

Rennard Ho, a 14 year-old Courts Young Lions supporter, who penned a letter to one of the papers regarding his thoughts on the recent announcement of the joint FAS-FAM MOU that would see a Singapore team playing in the Malaysian League for the first time since 1994.

Below is the unedited version of the letter Rennard emailed and many thanks to him for allowing me to republish it.

"First and foremost, I do not actually expect this to be published. I'm 14 this year, and I support the Courts Young Lions. This move to the Malaysia Cup, has brought disappointment and shock to me, and many others in the football fraternity.

I'm upset that, after those attempts to secure major sponsors, fans and a TV show about the team, we are going to Malaysia. This is from the BOTTOM of my heart. Have FAS ever thought about how fans think? They EXPECT us to be happy. Wait. What about those players? Don't they have an education here? So should we expect them to travel to and fro from SG to MY for games?


The S-League was formed in 1996, a year after Singapore pulled out of the Malaysia Cup. The S-League is our own league. Yet the FAS is not paying any attention to it. Instead they are thinking about how we can return to Malaysia. Where have all the merchandise trucks gone? Other than the old notebooks I find at Harbourfront Centre, the merchandises each club offers - sometimes the fans make their own merchandise, for example Hougang United's fan scarf - what else can we find?

I feel that rather than trying to live the past again, we should look forward to advance. Take care of the league that belongs to us. What good can Malaysian STATE teams do? If a S-League selection can thrash Selangor, I don't see why we should return to Malaysia, where Selangor is considered to be one of the strongest there. I end this with a thank you for paying attention to a young teen who loves Singapore football.

Regards,
Rennard"

Picture of the depicted notebooks courtesy by "Kak Yana" (views expressed maybe necessary be that of the blog owner)

Is it still in-line with the "Strategic Plan"??

Picture courtesy of FAS

If you guys want to know what are my thoughts over the announcement made this afternoon at Kuala Lumpur (pictured above), I would say I'm still struggling to formulate my thoughts.

As everything to me still looked so vague, nonetheless, I allowed a journalist friend to quote me as follow when he called earlier.

"We have just disqualified ourselves with Malaysia from taking part in the ACL (Asian Champions League), as I understand AFC (Asian Football Confederation) do not allow participation from member countries if they having foreign teams in their domestic leagues" citing an earlier announcement that saw us redraw from the Asian elite club competition because of the insistence of having foreign teams in our league.


"Furthermore, it's been 17 years after we pulled out from the Malaysia Cup and during the period we see a new generation of supporters grown up that who might not see/appreciate the significance of it as in the past, unlike those like us who been through that era." as I concluded my thoughts over the phone (if I remember correctly what I said).

Suddenly my mind went blank after having said those above-mentioned, while trying to grab hold of situation to assess my thoughts.

Saw some of the postings on the blog FB page.

"Malaysia Cup ??? U hav been there ... Passion ... Winning .... Proud ... But ut (you) will bring down all the hard work the S league clubs, S league supporters down the drain ... RIP Singapore football ... Our aim is winning the ultimate M league / Cup now"said one who voice his apparent unpleasantness over the announcement.

"... see it as exposure and bonds build over the period could be beneficial for YL, if NS dun upset the system. I think its a good move. YL did do that in 2006 too for M-cup too." added another citing the example of Young Lions took part in Malaysia FA Cup in 2006 (a view that was more or less similar to Jakarta Casual's entry back in 2008).

While another commented the involvement of "Singapore Lions" should not be seen as Singapore rejoining the Malaysian League, as to him "its just an U23 team exchange! but all this nonsense talk about malaysia cup days and old footage and pictures from the 90s popping up..." in view of several mainstream outlets might have overdoing it by portrayed the move as a "nostalgic" one.

Is our priority still aiming to play in the best tournament in the continent?

 Even though, more specific details on the arrangement are to be made known once things are put in place, I guess many fans out there would like to know what would be the PRIORITY for the Singapore Football?

• In the name of fostering good footballing relationship, should we jeopardise our footballing fate that eventually see us not able to excel further up the ladder (i.e: opportunity for our clubs to be involved in ACL) because of such collaboration?
• I am not sure the decision of recruiting the so-called national players who are aged under 23 for this "Singapore Lions" would be a fair move to their S.League clubs (have we not seen lately a few clubs having to release some of those 'SEA Games' eligible players to Courts Young Lions during the transfer window)?
• If that's the case, would S.League clubs be wary of fielding those "U23" players in fear of having them being "enlisted for Singapore Lions" should they caught the attention?
• Beside fostering "better ties" between both football community, how would such collaboration help to "fix the leaking rooftop we are facing in our own house"?

Not another plan gonna end up like "GOAL 2010" eh?

 I just wonder if there's a shift of focus as I been pondering does this arrangement is still in line with the "Strategic Plan" the FAS announced last April (which I could not find that anymore on FAS site since).

BoLASEPaKO.com on Rediffusion

Got an email from Friz, who is a DJ of Rediffusion Radio that he would like to feature me on their morning show on SYNC - Your Lifestyle Radio.

With DJ Friz  (pictured right) who is the host of  "SYNC - Your Lifestyle Radio"

Rediffusion has been in Singapore since 1949, during its heyday from 1950s to late 1970s it was a common sight everywhere in Singapore to have its trademark "box" receiver strategically located at places like kopitiams, shophouses to allow listeners to tune to their programs with Chinese Dialect Operas and Story-Telling segments by the legandary Lee Dai Shau being the mainstay of the station from decades.

As times evolved, so did Rediffusion as well with the station broadcast its programs using Digital Audio Broadcasting (DBA) System that provides crystal clear sound quality.

Here I was in the recording studio doing the recording

Just like the "Razor TV" segment I was on earlier, this program was pre-recorded as well (which I think it would be best for someone who is slow in formulating answer when being prompted a question like myself) and all Friz required from me was just to "sit down and relax for a comfy chit-chatting session".

During the session, Friz proceed to ask the beginning of BoLASEPaKO and how it came about with some topics of current state of local football being discussed and my opinions on those issues too.

Friz doing the editing right after the recording

To facilitate the session to be smooth-sailing, a couple of questions were emailed to me before-handed to get myself prepare and which I am glad everything went according to script, although, I did highlight my concern about my pronunciation which Friz assured everything is fine. 

Definitely it was an eye-opener for someone like me, who actually grew up listening to Rediffusion in my home kitchen during my boyhood days and the visit to their studio sure brought back a lot of those memories in the past.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AND PLAY THE RECORDED AUDIO CLIP OF THE INTERVIEW.

How many of you would bother?

How many of you actually bother about this picture? For those who know the game well it's a keenly contested S.League title race that is well underway.

And yet, how many of you bother?

It's the most unfortunate to have the scene being associated with much negativity that the unfair comments, suggestions, perception have been unwilling tag along with Singapore football.

And since it has been so unconvincing to tell the positive side of the league at this stage I thought something visible should be presented for those skeptics to see before passing any judgement.

(screen grab from Liga Singapura)

[Media Information] 25 man squad for 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Round 2‏

(Media Information from the Football Association of Singapore)

Could this herald a new era under Coach Raddy? (File Picture)

SINGAPORE, 5th July 2011: Singapore National Team coach, Radojko Avramovic has selected a list of 25 players for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Brazil Qualifying Round Two matches against Malaysia to be played on 23rd July and 28th July 2011.

The first leg will be played on 23rd July in Singapore at the Jalan Besar Stadium while the second leg will see Malaysia play hosts to the Lions in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL™ ASIAN QUALIFIERS ROUND 2 PLAYERS LIST

S/N	Popular Name	Position	Club	Caps	Goals
1	Andrew Tan	FW	Balestier Khalsa FC
2	Hariss Harun	MF	Courts Young Lions	16	0
3	Izwan Mahbud	GK	Courts Young Lions
4	Ruzaini Zainal	MF	Courts Young Lions	2	0
5	Afiq Yunos	DF	Courts Young Lions	2	0
6	Khairul Nizam	FW	Courts Young Lions	2	0
7	Safuwan Baharudin	DF	Courts Young Lions	4	0
8	Shahdan Sulaiman	MF	Courts Young Lions	3	0
9	Hamqaamal Shah	DF	Gombak United FC	2	0
10	Ismail Yunos	DF	Gombak United FC	13	0
11	Juma'at Jantan	DF	Home United FC	18	0
12	Lionel Lewis	GK	Home United FC	68	0
13	Isa Halim	MF	Home United FC	32	0
14	Qiu Li	FW	Home United FC	5	0
15	Shi Jiayi	MF	Home United FC	48	5
16	Shahril Ishak	MF	Medan Chiefs FC	82	5
17	Daniel Bennett	DF	SAF FC	96	6
18	Erwan Gunawan	FW	SAF FC
19	Fazrul Nawaz	FW	SAF FC	43	3
20	Shaiful Esah	DF	SAF FC	9	0
21	Aleksandar Duric	FW	Tampines Rovers FC	32	14
22	Mustafic Fahrudin	MF	Tampines Rovers FC	54	6
23	Shukor Zailan	MF	Tampines Rovers FC	2	0
24	Delwinder Singh	DF	Tanjong Pagar United FC
25	Ridhuan Barudin	GK	Tanjong Pagar United FC

MY THOUGHTS...

"Any instant thought on the final 25??


A blend of younger players go with those experienced ones, it's important to have a guiding hands at this transitional stage to ensure a smooth "handling over" period.


The "Final25" also saw a big jump in Young Lions' representation in the squad with the aim to use the WCQ as "great learning opportunity" to anticipate what is going to expect in the November SEA Games."

Appreciation Nite by the organizers of the 23rd Canon Lion City Cup

FAS president Mr Zainudin Nordin (left) received the mock cheque from Mr Andrew Koh (right0, Senior Director and General Manager of the Consumer Imaging & Information Products Divsion of Canon Singapore with NFA U16 skipper Dukhilan Jeevamani (second from left) and U15's captain Adam Swandi (partial hidden).

Was at the appreciation dinner hosted by the organizers of the recently concluded 23rd Canon Lion City Cup at Fika, which is located around the Kampong Glam area.

Making their presence at the venue were the two NFA squads - the U15 and U16 teams (pictured below) who finished third and runners-up spots respectively in the tournament.

As a commitment pledged by the title sponsors, Canon, before the tournament, a contribution of $13,000 was donated to the National Football Academy for the development of these two teams.

The finalized amount was the result of total number of goals scored by the two teams that tallied at 13 goals (nine by the "Baby Cubs" - U15, four by the "Little Cubs" - U16) during the tournament.

Many thanks to the organizers for the invitation to the dinner and of course for mentioning both Arief of LionsAllTheWay and myself during the closing speech by Mr Alvin Yeo, the emcee of the night (deeply appreciated).

Redemption for the "Poor Cousin"...

The League Cup Trophy

The scheduling of the League Cup has long been a debatable issue since the inception of this tournament some five years old that either saw it took place during the pre-season or middle of the league fixtures.

Being widely perceived as the "poor cousin" of the more prestigious two - the league championship and the Singapore Cup, it's not wonder regional football blogger, Antony Sutton of "Jakarta Casual" have this to say.

"Just because they have a League Cup in England doesn't mean every other country needs to copy it... This is an unnecessary addition to an overcrowded fixture list." commented Antony in his recent entry upon received the media release of the Cup draw held on Friday.

What the Jakarta-based blogger said is not without his concern.

Bear it in mind that weeks ago, the league had undergone a massive fixture scheduling that as many 40 matches (as I was told) were being postponed as the result due to various complications.

Etoile FC was the last season winners of the League Cup.

However, Albirex Niigata (Singapore) club manager Koh Mui Tee felt the scheduling of the League Cup tournament should not big a major concern.

“The rescheduling of the fixtures does not impact the league cup fixtures as the period for the League Cup has already been fixed when we received the whole season schedule in February this year.” opined Koh.

Nonetheless, not all share the same opinion from Koh's perspective with one club official speaks in condition of anonymity felt otherwise.

“While I understand the timing of the League Cup (is) due to (the) World Cup Qualifiers. They could have scheduled the draw before the release of rescheduling of (the league) fixtures last month.

“Now is like planning and re-planning with two weeks to start of competition. Some teams will be affected by no national players (in their teams). If a sponsor wants to come, they will think thrice.” said this club official highlighted his concern over the lack of preparation time for teams and difficulties might be facing the organizers in attracting a title sponsor for this tournament.

The last title sponsor for the tournament was "Avaya - J&J"

Also taking into account that rescheduling of matches have various implications such as fatigue issues that might have impact on some teams' momentum which Koh thought otherwise.

“Impact on players for burnt out is non-issue. Leagues in Europe and Japan has two Cup tournaments, same in Singapore. So I don't see why there is any reason for burn out.” said Koh.

Personally speaking, I would rather have this “poor cousin” be played at the pre-season period which I blogged my suggestion last year after Etoile claimed their first honours by beating Woodlands Wellington.

Anyone still keen on my suggestion?