[Telegram Chat] - 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐏 & 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒' 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐂𝐔𝐏

Two events in recent days prompted me to jot this note - the Singapore Cup and Tampines Rovers failed to qualify for the AFC Cup.

The premier knockout tournament will see the nine teams from the Singapore Premier League (SPL) split into two groups with 5 teams in Group A and the rest in Group B.

STAGS FAILED TO QUALIFY FOR A SPOT IN THE AFC CUP 

In the meantime, Tampines Rovers found themselves being denied a spot in the continental tournament which they would easily qualify to the knock-out stages in the past when they were beaten 3-2 by Phnom Penh Crown of Cambodia in the qualifying play-off.

Stags' coach Gavin Lee faced criticism after failing to qualify for the AFC Cup

Ironically, Phnom Penh Crown was one of the many regional invitees in the past to play in the Singapore Cup competition.

The above-mentioned tournament, at one point, was dubbed the "Asean Friendship Invitational" because of the participation of club sides from the neighbouring countries.

OTHER PROSPERS BUT NOT OURS

Back in 2017, I blogged "𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘶𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘣𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘦'𝘴".

After all, past regional participants of the Singapore Cup like Ceres Negros of the Philippines and Kitchee of Hong Kong went on to perform well in continental tournaments.

Singapore Cup helped to foster bilateral ties 

While at that point, Cambodia sides like Phnom Penh Crown had yet to muster up to pose a threat to challenge for the Singapore Cup, things seem to have changed in recent years.

The came-from-behind victory by the Red Singha over the Stags days ago at Jalan Besar Stadium had further cemented the fact things had changed.

Something, we, Singapore fans, are numb to it already.

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