LionsXII win a boost to S'pore football

Our LionsXII have roared again, not in their "lair" in Kallang Stadium, but in a foreign land, at Malaysia's Bukit Jalil Stadium ("LionsXII beat Kelantan to win Malaysian FA Cup"; Sunday).

The win has come at the right time, as our nation celebrates its 50th year of independence.

The LionsXII, under the charge of our very own Son of Football Fandi Ahmad, are a young side greatly inspired by a coach who himself is a legend in Singapore football and a household name.

Their fearless and great fighting spirit overcame a more experienced and older side.

Fandi brought glory to Singapore as a young national player 21 years ago, and now he is bringing glory to Singapore again as a coach.

This victory will boost Singapore football, which has been under relentless criticism. Critics pointed fingers when there were no wins. And often, the coach would be at the receiving end.

Now is the time to build on this success and fire up Singapore's football morale. We must not be complacent and rest on our laurels.

I suggest that an exhibition match involving this winning team against a selected team from the S-League be held at the Sports Hub, as part of the SG50 celebrations.

This will definitely bring the Kallang Roar back into the new stadium and spur Singapore football into becoming a force to be reckoned with in this region.

Jeff Tan Hong Liak

This article was first published on May 26, 2015.
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