Malaysians get 500 tickets, but 1,000 fans headed here

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SINGAPORE - Already set to be an explosive encounter, the tension and excitement will be ratcheted up several notches when around 1,000 Malaysian fans - who call themselves the "Ultras" - descend on Jalan Besar Stadium for Saturday's match between Singapore and Malaysia in the first leg of the second round of World Cup qualifiers.

The football venue has a capacity of 6,000, and 500 tickets were allocated to Malaysia. But a source from Malaysia told Today: "Around 20 buses are coming down from Kuala Lumpur, and these are organised by the Ultras Malaya and the Selangor Soccer Fan Club (SSFC).

"Some tickets were bought from the FAM, some from Malaysia's Sports and Youth Ministry, and ... it appears that about 1,000 fans are heading to Singapore."

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) will step up security for the highly-anticipated game. FAS deputy director for marketing and competitions Ridzal Saat said: "We have security measures in place, from armed guards to the regular security personnel, and there will definitely be more personnel on duty.

"Malaysian fans who bought tickets through the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have been allocated a specific area in the gallery and, in anticipation of fans who hold tickets to the grandstand, we have set aside an area there too, and they will be strongly encouraged to sit there."

The FAS put up 4,000 tickets for sale for only Singapore fans last Saturday, and they were snapped up within six hours. The rest were set aside for sponsors, VIPs, ex-internationals and junior players, among others.

SSFC president Nasir Yunus said his organisation is chartering 10 buses for around 350 ticket-holders. "We got our tickets through the FAM, but I don't know how the rest of the fans are getting theirs," he told Today in a phone interview from Kuala Lumpur.

"I clearly remember the fantastic Singapore fans and the fabled 'Kallang Roar'. It's those memories from the '80s and '90s that make us want to go to Singapore to support our team."