BoLASEPaKO.com - A Blog on Singapore Football

(This message is brought to you by Strategic Public Relations Group [SPRG] , the coordinating agency for this clinic) Christmas will come early for players of the popular online computer game, EA SPORTS™ FIFA Online 2, as they stand a chance to apply their virtual football skills to the real pitch in a football clinic conducted by ex-Barclays Premier League manager, Phil Brown along with Liverpool legends Jason McAteer and Steve McMahon. Organised by IAHGames, in collaboration with football scouting web portal, ScoutForAll , a total of two football clinics will be held in Singapore and Malaysia. This is a unique kind of talent scouting event targeting at those avid gamers to see if they have what it takes to transform their capabilities in the virtual world into real footballing skills on the pitch. The first clinic is scheduled for 7 December 2010 in Singapore at The Premier Pitch , and the second clinic is slated for 10 December 2010 in Kuala Lumpur . 40 lucky gamers shall be selecte

(The content of this entry is obtained via the transcript provided by Integrated Marketing Solutions Group [IMSG] - the PR agency for Nike Singapore ) (P.S: The copyrights of the video, images depicted in this blog entry belong to Nike, unless stated.) Singapore (November 30, 2010) – For the first time, Nike allows football fans to be heard, loud and proud, at the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup 2010 games. Debuting at the games, Nike SHOUT is the region’s first digital LED perimeter board that serves to capture and amplify the football moments on pitch via social media, connecting Southeast Asian fans at home and across the region to the players on the pitch, live with their messages of support. As part of the “Be the Next” campaign, Nike SHOUT is targeted at local youth footballers to inspire them to show their support for their national teams and strengthen their drive to be part of that team someday. Enthusiasts can post their words of encouragement and support and see thei

Albirex Niigata (Singapore)'s chairman chairman Mr Daisuke Korenaga (pictured above left) with a CBF representative during the ceremony that announced the partnership between the two sides (picture credit: Albirex Niigata (Singapore)) With the vision to see itself as a stepping stone for its players to play professional football in Europe, S.League club Albirex Niigata (Singapore) recently inked a partnership deal with Portuguese club side Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses (CBF). Under the terms of the agreement between the two, Albirex (S) will send one or two players to CFB for a two-week trial annually. CFB will in-turn have the priority to sign these players should any of them meets the club’s requirements with 20-year-old midfielder Tatsuro Inui will be the first player to attend such trial scheduled from 6 Dec. In a statement released by the club, chairman Mr Daisuke Korenaga said: “We are very proud and honoured to have Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses , a club rich in history an

(Media Information from the Football Association of Singapore ) SINGAPORE, 26 November 2010: National Coach Radojko Avramovic (pictured above center) has called up his final 22 ahead of the AFF Suzuki Cup as the Lions gear up to reclaim the AFF Cup for an unprecedented fourth time, having won the region’s most prestigious tournament in 1998, 2004 and 2007. Coach Radojko has picked an experience side with a vast majority of the players featuring in previous AFF Cup competitions. The last player who failed to make the cut was Home Untied’s Tengku Mushadad. “I'm looking at the positions and who can cover which position and in the end, Tengku is the one (to miss out). He tried very hard, and I am thankful for that, but maybe his time is not now. Maybe in the future he will have more opportunities with the National Team,” said Avramovic. Most notably, Hariss Harun has been ruled out of the biennial tournament for the second time after sustaining a fractured fibula at the Asian Games ea

Singapore beat Laos 4-0 in their preparation for the Suzuki Cup in the Jurong West Stadium before heading up to Vietnam this Sunday. Ace striker Noh Alam Shah scored before the end of the first half, Agu Casmir (pictured above) netted a double with Gombak United's Fazrul Nawaz scored on his home ground to seal the win. The only blip is the injury to Ridhuan Muhamad that forced the winger to be replaced midway of the game. (thanks to Mr Gary Koh for this update)

(Media Information from the Football Association of Singapore ) SINGAPORE , 24 November 2010 : Singapore w ill take on Laos at the Jurong West Stadium on Friday 26 November at 7.30pm. The Lions have been stepping up their preparation for the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup in Hanoi, Vietnam next month and Friday's match will be an ideal opportunity for coach Radojko Avramovic (pictured above) to put his players through their paces. "Everyday we have been working on the shape of the team and trying to adopt different styles of play in our game. This match (against Laos) will provide us with a good opportunity to work on some of these areas especially if we have to change our play during the upcoming games in Hanoi," said Avramovic. Singapore is in Group B together with Philippines, Myanmar and co-hosts Vietnam while Laos is in Group A alongside Malaysia, Thailand and co-hosts Indonesia. Singapore will kick-off their Suzuki Cup challenge on 2 December when

(The following message is brought to you by Waggener Edstrom Worldwide , the coordinating agency for this event.) The Disabled People's Association (DPA), in collaboration with the Celebrities Sports Club and International Football Commentators is organising a football match to honour the 2010 International Day of People with Disabilities(IDPD) and raise funds for the advocacy work of the DPA. IDPD is commemorated yearly in over 100 countries. It is a day to reflect on the challenges faced by people with disabilities whilst they pursue their goals and to celebrate their triumphs. On 27 November 2010, the 'East' will challenge the 'West' to a friendly, but competitive game of football for a worthy cause. The match will be held at Jalan Besar Stadium where some 3000 people are expected to attend and cheer on the two celebrity teams, including many media personalities and corporate leaders. The sport commentator at the match will be our very own veteran deejay, Daniel

National team manager Eugene Loo (pictured above, third from the right) in his opening address to the experience sharing session between the Lions and the YOG Cubs. Three YOG cubs - Ammirul Emmran, Dhukhilan Jeevamani and skipper Jeffrey Lightfoot got up close and personal with Lions stars - Aleksandar Duric, Baihakki Khaizan, Fazrul Nawaz, Ridhuan Muhamad in "BE THE NEXT" - another initiative by NIKE, the national jersey provider at the sporting giants' flagship outlet at Wisma Atria. Veteran striker Aleksandar Duric (first from left) shares his experiences with YOG team skipper Jeffrey Lightfoot (on extreme right) with Loo and defender Baihakki Khaizan look on. "Be The Next" is a campaign specifically targeted at local youth footballers, inspiring them to live their dreams and become the next great footballer of the nation. The campaign also aims to ignite a sense of national pride that encourages the youth's support for the national team to be the next ch

This year's S.League Awards Night was held at the St James Power House (a nice shift again from their traditional venue from the Mediacorp theatre). To cap his inspiring performance for his former club Home United before his departure to Indonesian League, national skipper Shahril Ishak is named as the Player of the Year, on top of the "Goal of the Year" accolade he received earlier in the evening. Coach Vorawan's daughter Parawan (pictured above right) received the award on her dad's behalf, posing for this shot with presenter Mediacorp artiste Rebecca Lim . Despite the agony of losing both league title and Singapore Cup by slim margin, Tampines Rovers' coach Vorawan Chitavanich is being awarded his third "Coach of the Year" award for his effort this season. While the first award of the night - "Young Player of the Year" was given to national midflelder Hariss Harun (pictured above while receiving the award on the stage). OTHER MAJOR AWARD

Coach Raddy (in white T-shirt) briefing the players. With the regional crown jewel - AFF Suzuki Cup , just around the corner, the National Team get down to business as soon as the domestic S.League completed its 2010 fixtures. At their usual Geylang Field training base, the Lions are being grouped together with those plying their trade in the Indonesian Super League (ISL)under the watchful eyes of Coach Raddy Avramovic who is assisted by former internationals Robin Chitrakar, Lee Bee Seng (goalkeeper coach) and sports trainer Aleksandar Bozenko. The ISL based Lions (second from left to right) : Shahril Ishak, Mustafic Fahrudin, Baihakki Khaizan, Ridhuan Muhamad. Another ISL-based star - striker Noh Alam Shah (in foreground) in full alert. The Lions will begin their Suzuki Cup campaign on the 2nd of December against the Philippines at Hanoi, prior to that I was informed details of the scheduled friendly before heading to Vietnam is to be finalized, stay tuned... FOR MORE PICTURES FROM

(Complied with information from media release by the Football Association of Singapore ) No surprise as notable performers are being nominated for the various awards at the annual S.League Awards Nite to be held at St James Power House this coming Sunday (21st November). League's top scorer Etoile FC's striker Fred Mendy's (pictured above) name is the nomination lists for both Player and Young Player of the Year awards. Having coached his team to the title on its first season, Etoile's Patrick Vallee will face stiff challenge from fellow debutante?Lee Lim Saeng of Home United, as well as former winners Richard Bok of SAFFC and Stags' Vorawan Chitavanich with dark horse Darren Stewart from Gombak United for the Coach of the Year award. Awards regular Tampines Rovers' evergreen Aleksandar Duric with another veteran Md Noor Ali of Woodlands Wellington will also be honoured on the same evening for hitting the milestone of 300 goals and 100 goals respectively in the

(Pictured above) The first sight of FICO premises, where I first met Arief of " Lions All The Way " at this car park. Located at one obscure corner of Jurong West, one would not necessarily take a second look at this building if one would drive or walk past this site. However, as a saying goes - never judge a book by its cover, it would be unfair to pass any judgement without step into "FICO Sports Hub" to see what it has to offer. The heat resistant shelters shield the players from the scorching heat. The eight indoor futsal courts enjoy high-booking rate. On a land area of six-hectares, the sports hub is the home of eight indoor futsal courts, which are covered with heat resistant shelters, plus a beach volleyball court is just right beside them. "We don't see ourselves as mere provider of futsal courts for football lovers out there, part of our scope is to provide event management services to our corporate clients, if necessary." said Mr Steven Wong

Bangkok Glass made history by winning the Singapore Cup Guest team Bangkok Glass (pictured above) claimed the final trophy of the domestic season by snatching the Singapore Cup by beating Tampines Rovers 1-0 at the Jalan Besar Stadium. With the Cup claimed by another foreign team (both the S.League title and League Cup were won by Etoile FC), it set an unprecedented clean sweep of the three major honours for the first time by non-Singaporean teams. So where are we heading next? THE ONLY GOAL THAT SEALED THE WIN FOR THE BUNNIES How the goal was scored  A collage of the only goal scored (pictured above) in the match which saw French defender Benoit Croissant deflect the ball off Glass's defender Wasan Homsaen from the right. THAI FANS ROCKED JBS The Bangkok Glass fans made their presence felt These travelling Thai supporters made their presence felt, as always, as if we were in LEO stadium in Bangkok, at least it was a worthwhile effort to come down to support their heroes in

(Media Information from the Football Association of Singapore ) Coach Raddy (in dark outfit) is gunning for his third regional title at the end of the year SINGAPORE, 12 November 2010: National Coach Radojko Avramovic has called up a provisional squad of 26 players for the AFF Suzuki Cup in December. Coach Radojko has picked an experienced squad with over half the team seeing action in earlier editions of the Suzuki Cup. He will finalise a squad of 22 players for the trip to Hanoi. Singapore is in Group B of the biennial tournament alongside Myanmar, co-hosts Vietnam and Philippines with the Lions first match on 2 December. Group A in Jakarta features Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and co-hosts Indonesia. Please see below and attached Singapore’s provisional squad list of 26 players. Full Name Position Club / Country Caps Goals Lionel Lewis GK Home United 68 0 Hassan Sunny GK Tampines Rovers 29 0 Izwan

Historical night at Jurong East Stadium, debutante Etoile FC claimed their second trophy of the season by clinching the holy grail - the S.League championship (pictured above). After suffering some early scares in the first half by trailing 2-1 to hosts Albirex Niigata (S), the French stormed back to beat the Japanese 4-2 in the end to seal the race. Coach Patrick Vallee (pictured above on right) claimed his second honour in his debut season with the French outfit, would he sweep the coveted "Coach of the Year" award on the "S.League Awards Nite" on the 21st November as that final piece of his jig-saw puzzle? But one thing for sure is Frederic Mendy (pictured above) is set to go up to the stage to pick up this season's "Top Scorer" on the same night. The other two results on the night saw Tampines Rovers beat Balestier Khalsa 4-1, while the "Uniform Derby" at the Jalan Besar Stadium ended with both SAFFC and Home United in a goal-less dra

(This message is extracted from the message I sent to the members of the BoLASEPaKO.com's Facebook Group ) I think we will be pretty busy over the next few days for making a decision for the 10th of November, as we must decide where shall we will be heading to (although, I know some of us here don't have much choice)? Only for them to lose themselves now, can Etoile (pictured above) bounced back against Albirex on 10/11? It's either you want to be at Jurong East for the Etoile-Albirex game , the Stags-Tigers showdown at Tampines or the "Uniform Derby" at the Jalan Besar. Heralded as the most exciting title race since 2007, we will only see the unveiling of this season champions on the 10th. Bring your family and friends to the stadium, with their support at the stadiums the players will be encouraged and put up display of better football." Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee said this during this season opener Following that on this coming Sunday (14th Novembe