BoLASEPaKO•COM - A Blog on Singapore Football

Salim Moin taking charge of Stags this season Just barely a week before their first competitive game of the season - against South China AA of Hong Kong in the continent's elite club tournament - Asian Champions League (ACL) playoff on the 2nd of February, the preparation of the reigning S.League champions Tampines Rovers is far from impressive. Except for the clean sheet they maintained in their recent Cambodian trip that saw them notched two wins over their opponents in Phnom Penh, the Stags found themselves struggling to pull their act together on the home soil where they succumbed to a 1-0 loss to Geylang International in a friendly played this afternoon at Bedok Stadium. Miljan Mrdakovic (10) - new Stags signing Roberto Gamarra (19) in action for Stags Inside the box action in the second half This defeat is the third out of the five friendlies Tampines played so far (following their 7-1 loss to Johor Darul Ta’zim and 2-0 defeat to Felda United ), such ...

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore) It can't be more bizarre than this when a media release (dated 11th of January 2014) issued by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced the Courts Young Lions (CYL) will embark on a Turkish pre-season tour for their S.League preparation. Led by coach Aide Iskandar, who led the Cubs to a SEA Games bronze medal last December , the contingent will be taking on opponents, including Azerbaijan Under-21s, Denmark Under-21s and Czech Republic side Slavia Prague in Antalya. El-Masri (no32) re-signed for CYL The said release also confirmed the re-signing of one-time Canadian U23 international Sherif El-Masri and recruitment of Jordan Webb (from Home United) to the developmental squad with both of them, reported to be on the radar of the Foreign Talent Scheme (FTS) , joining the month long tour. “Such a training camp matches the FAS Strategic Plan’s objective to expo...

On the 19th of November 2013 , I wrote on the blog's Facebook Page that Doing well or winning medal of any colours in the upcoming SEA Games Football tournament in Myanmar DOESN'T MEAN our football is on the right track. In fact, the gap between SEA and rest of Asia is widening when we are witnessing the possibility of not having representation from the Asean pac in the gathering Down Under. (for the Asian Cup) The sad thing is this "prioritized grooming" that only concentrated those in National Football Academy (NFA), Young Lions, and Lions XII for the case of this group of Cubs in the recent SEA Games, actually meant that we are constraining our talent pool by neglecting those in the eligible players in S.League and Prime League. NFA pit against a club side (Everton) in the match  So much so of kept telling us "best available players will play for the national team" when only selected are enjoying the privilege of "grooming the right way"....

I do hope you guys had fun counting down last night till this morning with the ushering of 2014. Nothing major in the scene other than having a few clubs already kick off their pre-season preparation for the upcoming S.League season ( scheduled to kick off on 19th Feb - subject to change ). It's also a time when we see players moving around the island after being released from their original clubs or having a few who decided to hang up their boots to venture into a more stabling career path. Sometimes, we shouldn't feel that bit of pity if any player made up their mind to curtain their pro football career, rather we should be happy to see them manage to secure a livelihood, especially in a totally different industry. Benoit (center) and Lionel (right) retired in 2012 The past years saw the likes of former national custodian Lionel Lewis and ex-Tampines Rovers defender Benoit Croissant retire from the game and seemingly adapt well to their new environment. As w...

The logo of 2TSS (use with permission) Scheduled to launch officially on January 2014, 2Touch Soccer School (2TSS) is Singapore's newest soccer education program. The new setup is part of 2Touch International, a sport services provider which has been providing organisations and institutions with sports related programs since 2009. Cater for kids between the ages of 4-12, 2TSS hopes to impart the fundamental skills of soccer to the trainees and develop them holistically through the game as well. "2Touch Soccer School boasts a well-planned curriculum that will train players using the most modern methodologies and a consistent philosophy and structure. This highly engaging method of coaching will develop not only technical players but also players with high levels of decision-making skills." said Mr Khairul Asyraf, the Technical Director of 2TSS. According to its website, the school had planned an all-year round schedule for its classes to be conducted around the...