Singapore Just Qualified For The Asia Cup: What It Means As A Lifelong Local Football Fan

I didn’t expect to shout at my TV.

I didn’t expect to pace around the living room like it was the World Cup final.

And I definitely didn’t expect Singapore to beat Hong Kong 2–1 and qualify for the AFC Asia Cup on merit for the first time in our history.

But when the final whistle blew, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years watching our national team… faith. Real, heart-thumping, spine-tingling belief.

For context, Singapore last appeared in the Asia Cup way back in 1984 but only because we were the host nation. To qualify outright this past week, in a competitive group, under pressure, after decades of disappointment? That felt like a breakthrough. A moment we’ll look back on one day and say, “That was the turning point.”

And for someone like me who grew up in the final throes of the old National Stadium era in the 2000s but also lived through the dark years that followed in the last decade, this victory meant more than just a ticket to Saudi Arabia in 2027. It felt personal.

Nabbing this sold-out Lion City Sailors jersey took a monumental amount of effort, but it was worth it | IMAGE: FARHAN SHAFIE

Growing up with the Lions

My earliest memory of local football was Singapore’s 2004 Tiger Cup victory. The National Team was then led by legendary coach Raddy Avramovic and entered the competition as underdogs, despite narrowly winning the previous tournament. However, to the surprise of many Singaporeans (seems like an ongoing theme), this vintage squad captained by defender Aide Iskandar, powered by the likes of a young Shahril Ishak and the fearsome striking duo of Indra Sahdan Daud, and the unstoppable Noh Alam Shah stormed through the tournament unbeaten.

It was the first time I saw football unite Singaporeans. Sports stores at Queenstown shopping centre ran out of red jerseys.Every coffee shop TV was tuned in. Kids were shouting “GOAL!” during recess and The New Paper’s wall-to-wall sports coverage left me hooked.

A year later, Aide Iskandar coincidentally visited my secondary school to give a motivational talk. I still remember raising my hand nervously to ask him about the winning mentality of the team. Something about seeing a national hero in person made the whole idea of Singapore football feel bigger than just a game.

That was the spark.

Me playing weekend football at Jalan Basar Stadium. | IMAGE: FARHAN SHAFIE

I then started catching S.League games at the old Tampines Stadium, cheering for Tampines Rovers my neighbourhood club at the time. I remember watching matches from the stands, wooden benches shaking with every chant, floodlights bathing the pitch in that unmistakable matchday glow. Soon after, I graduated to the old National Stadium, where the real magic lived.

The Kallang Roar wasn’t a myth. It was a physical force that was truly alive. The stomping of feet on those concrete stands? It vibrated through your bones. Corner kick? Boom-boom-boom the entire stadium synced like a heartbeat, chanting in anticipation. Echoes of “We want goal” rained down with every attack. The atmosphere was simply electric.

Watching Khairul Amri curl one into the top corner or seeing Noh Alam Shah bullying defenders with his fiery presence felt like witnessing mythology happen in real time. The old National Stadium was our home fortress. And being part of that environment shaped my love for local football.

Thrilled to meet striker Shawal Anuar at the launch of the Lion City Sailors Jersey in Adidas Orchard. | IMAGE: FARHAN SHAFIE

LionsXII - the last great high before the drought

When Singapore returned to Malaysian competition in 2012, it felt like history coming full circle. My generation grew up hearing stories about Fandi Ahmad conquering Malaysia in the 90s and suddenly, LionsXII gave us our own storyline.

I followed the team closely, trying to catch as many home games at Jalan Besar Stadium as I could. There was Hariss Harun, a young midfielder who would one day captain both Singapore and Malaysian giants Johor Darul Ta’zim. Attacking midfielder Shahril Ishak was still around a decade later, older, wiser, still lethal. There was Shahfiq Ghani, a former primary schoolmate of mine, living out the professional dream.

One year into this new team experiment, the pinnacle was reached. LionsXII won the Malaysia Super League in 2013, sparking a mass outpouring of celebration and nostalgia among local football fans. That felt massive. A Singapore team winning a foreign league, something even European football fans rarely get to brag about. For many, that era was the last big high before things started to decline.

After 2015, Malaysia and Singapore ended their partnership, and LionsXII exited the league. The momentum faded. The void has never quite been filled in quite the same way.

With goalkeeping legend Hassan Sunny. | IMAGE: FARHAN SHAFIE

The quiet years and the small sparks of hope

The last decade hasn’t been kind to Singapore football. We slipped behind the likes Thailand and Vietnam, and even Malaysia and Indonesia to a certain extent, who grew into regional giants. Attendance dropped as we kept getting eliminated in early rounds of national competitions. Interest waned as the squad and coaches experienced multiple changes.

The Singapore Premier League felt uneven as well with Lion City Sailors investing heavily while other clubs struggled to keep pace. But there were bright sparks. Singapore’s national captain Hariss Harun went on to dominate Malaysian football and lift trophies throughout the 2010s after joining their biggest club Johor Darul Ta’zim. We had the likes of goalkeeping veteran Hassan Sunny going viral in China in 2024 as millions of Chinese fans discovered his talent during the World Cup qualifiers.

Like all things in football, a new generation started to emerge, even if it was gradually with multiple stop-starts. Fandi Ahmad’s trio of footballing sons, Irfan, Ikhsan and Ilhan (who scored and assisted during Singapore’s victory over Hong Kong), ensured the Fandi legacy continues. New attacking stars such as Faris Ramli and Shawal Anuar (who scored the opening goal) continue to dazzle.

Meeting my heroes, like goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud, was a dream come true. | IMAGE: FARHAN SHAFIE

These small sparks were reminders that the passion was still alive just waiting for the right moment to reignite. Then came this past week. Watching Singapore beat Hong Kong wasn’t just a football moment. It was emotional catharsis for a nation quietly enduring years of hurt.

Years of defending the team during tough losses, seeing empty stadiums, hearing people mock “Singa-who?”, hoping the next coach, the next squad, the next cycle would bring change. All of that melted in the final minutes of the match.

This win didn’t erase the past. But it finally pointed towards a bright future.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like Singapore football was trending upward, not just dreaming, but moving. Qualifying for the Asia Cup the Asian version of the Euros is massive. It’s legitimacy. It’s pride. It’s a signal that our football isn’t dead. It’s growing again.

And now? We’ll go to Saudi Arabia in 2027.

So, what’s next?

I hope this qualification becomes more than a headline. I hope it turns into renewed interest in the local league, more kids wanting to join football academies thanks to stronger pathways for young talent, bigger crowds at our local stadium, heck at the minimum, a revived football identity for the nation

Most of all, I hope this reminds Singaporeans, especially the younger ones, that supporting local football can be joyful, emotional, meaningful. As for me, I will still continue to watch the Lions regularly, and still play my own weekend football games with friends. But after this Asia Cup qualification? My Lions jersey is coming out again.

And who knows, maybe in 2027 I’ll be in the Middle East, cheering my lungs out for the team that taught me how to believe again.

For the latest updates on Wonderwall.sg, be sure to follow us on TikTok, Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook. If you have a story idea for us, email us at [email protected].