BoLASEPaKO.COM - A Blog on Singapore Football

Without much fanfare, at least in Singapore, Central Coast Mariners became the first Australian club to win the AFC Cup after defeating Al-Ahed of Lebanon. The crowning of the Gosford-based A-League side as the winners of the continent's second-tier club competition marked the end of the tournament since its inception twenty years ago in 2004. As far as the Lion City is concerned, this competition enabled teams from the island republic to compete against teams from the region. It was quite common during the tournament to see teams like SAFFC , Home United , Tampines Rovers , etc., traveling to places like the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, Hong Kong, Indonesia, etc., to face their regional opponents. Duric (left) has seen the highs and lows of Singapore's AFC Cup journey Unfortunately, many, in my humble opinion, seem to fail to appreciate what the AFC Cup has done for local clubs given the lack of fan interest and the scant coverage from the local media. Besides gaining much-n...

Speechless when see those comparing I am not sure if you have noticed this trend, which I personally consider unhealthy. Often, in nostalgic-themed social groups or forums, people share various forms of media to reminisce about the good old days. Unfortunately, some use this opportunity to compare the past with the present. We often hear remarks like "the present cannot be compared with the past" or "past generations were much better." I must be blunt here and say that comparing is not only unhealthy but also, to a certain extent, TOXIC. While past generations had their achievements, we should not discredit those who came after them just because of the challenges we face now. Let us remember this: Nazri Nasir lifted Singapore's first international major honour - the Tiger Cup in 1998. One of his predecessors, Samad Allapitchay, lifted the Malaysia Cup in 1980. Do you see the difference? - 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑...

Sometimes, self-restraint online is a must The rise of social media has made it possible for anyone to express their opinions on open platforms, a significant change from the past when only industry experts or Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) would be quoted or comment on relevant topics. MAINTAINING EMOTIONAL BALANCE IN ONLINE DISCUSSIONS However, it is equally crucial to occasionally step back and reflect on how we convey our thoughts online. I have noticed that individuals often become excessively emotional when debating a fiercely contested topic, which can sometimes lead to personal attacks . I firmly believe in engaging in debates constructively and avoiding excessive emotional involvement. THE IMPORTANCE Of CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT At the same time, it is essential to be accountable for your words and the potential repercussions they may have. Recently, I encountered a post online that I considered inappropriate. In essence, the tone and language used were undesirable and could expo...

I am not sure how the whole phenomenon started, following the announcement of the FAS-FAM MOU in Kuala Lumpur . Seen as a mere exercise to foster better footballing ties between both countries with each side sending a team to take part in each other's domestic league as a "cornerstone" arrangement in this symbolic partnership. HUGE "PR MACHINERY" TO WHIP UP THE "GOOD OL' DAYS" 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 a daily dosage of old pictures from "good ol' days" 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". One of the "pro-Malaysia Cup" views shared On the other hand, only in the cyberspace where harshest opinions can be seen from the mon...

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by SGX Group, to which the images depicted below are credited) SGX will run a financial training camp for footballers Following their collaboration with Lion City Sailors Football Club in 2022 to equip their footballers with essential financial management skills with a series of workshops, the Singapore Exchange (SGX Group) widened that approach with an announcement made this morning (3rd April 2024) of another new initiative on a wider scope. EQUIP THE PLAYERS WITH FINANCIAL LITERACY THROUGH SGX CARES In partnership with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and as part of SGX Group's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, SGX Cares, where financial literacy is one of the key pillars, the training camp is curated to equip the footballers with the fundamentals of financial management and investing which are essential building blocks to financial resilience. Close to 500 footballers from the Singapore Premi...