Football heroes, Courts CEO and fans talk Malaysia Cup

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SINGAPORE - The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on Monday named a 28-strong squad that will do battle in Malaysia's domestic competitions for the first time in 18 years.

The team, called the LionsXII, will be led by captain Shahril Ishak and will also feature midfield dynamo Hariss Harun, and attacking stars Khairul Amri and Agu Casmir. Former Singapore star V Sundramoorthy, who starred for the Lions and Kedah in the 1980s and 1990s, was named coach, while Kadir Yahaya, who played alongside him in 1990s, has been appointed assistant coach.

Excitement has been growing since the FAS signed a memorandum of understanding in July with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) that paved the way for Singapore's return to the M-League, Malaysia Cup and Malaysian FA Cup.

With slightly more than a month to kick-off, on Jan 10, the Republic's former Malaysia Cup stars, officials and fans give their take on the return adventure.



R Suriamurthi, former midfielder who played for Singapore and later for Pahang in the 1970s and early 1980s

"This is going to be good for the fans, but especially for the players because for many of them, it will be their first time playing regularly before big crowds. Singapore always pull the crowds when they play in Malaysia and if retired footballers like us can attract 70,000 people at the Sultan of Selangor Cup at Bukit Jalil last month, then this team can expect bigger.

"Their real test will come playing away, especially in the east coast states like Kelantan, where the home fans can be very intimidating. It will test the mettle of our boys, but this is what playing football is all about, where the rivalry is very real."



Hussein Aljunied, Singapore coach in the 1970s

"Our youngsters can only improve playing in Malaysia because they will not be playing against their own people. They will face a lot of pressure in the beginning but it will motivate them to play harder because as Singaporeans there is that national element in wanting to win for their country when they play away in front of crowds who are against them. They will be forced to improve their skills and it will ultimately benefit the national team. And because there is real sense of rivalry, the entertainment value will be higher for fans on both sides of the Causeway.



Terry O'Connor, chief executive of Courts, which sponsors the Young Lions in the S-League. He caught the last two seasons when Singapore played in Malaysia (1993 and 1994)

"I remember those days in the M-League. It was really exciting at the National Stadium, but it was also the time when there was no cable and we did not have competition from the English Premier League (EPL). I am looking forward to our return to competition in Malaysia, but I think we need to temper our expectations because we don't know yet how much the EPL will affect attendances this time. But I believe there will be an improvement in fan turnout and hopefully this will rub off on our own S-League."



Roger Quak, 30, a fan who watched Singapore compete in the Malaysia Cup when he was a primary school student

"I watched the Malaysia Cup in the early 1990s. I must say that without the National Stadium, it won't be the same making my way to games with a large crowd backing our team. But I will be at the Jalan Besar Stadium because I want to experience the carnival atmosphere that was common when Malaysian teams came to play here. The rivalry was so intense because it was basically Malaysians playing Singaporeans at every match and both sides really wanted badly to win. It will also give our players the big-match experience they are currently lacking."



Kelvin Foo, 43, football fan and managing director of an interior design company

"I do hope the Singapore team are prepared to go for a battle. Of course, as a Singaporean, I want to see them do well. But they need a total change of how things are done. This is probably another gimmick. In the long-term, we need drastic changes. Don't wait for things to happen and make changes."



Ho Kwang Hock, Singapore striker in the 1970s

"We should not expect too much out of this team for the first year because this will be a totally different experience for them. For most of the 28-man squad, they will be playing regularly out of Singapore for the first time and need to get used to it.

"What they should strive for in their first season in Malaysia is consistency and after the first year, the bar can be raised in terms of our expectations of them."



Robert Sim, Singapore defender in the 1970s

"Malaysia Cup matches between Singapore and the state teams will always be hotly contested and this will good for football development in both countries. The fans will support our team provided they do well and this is where the challenge is for them. Travelling to matches outside of Singapore will also give them the real feel of what playing away is all about.

"The crowds will be hostile, for sure, but there will be also occasions when referees and linesmen naturally give Malaysian sides the benefit of the doubt in controversial situations. Playing in such an atmosphere will toughen and mature our boys up and this will be good for Singapore football in the long run."



Steven Tan, Singapore's super-sub in the 1990s and now Tampines coach

"There are several factors at play competing in the Malaysia Cup. Opposing teams were always disturbing and disrupting our preparations for matches when I played and our LionsXII must be up for such a challenge. The Malaysia Cup is not for boys and everyone will be forced to grow up fast because they will be playing in red-hot cauldrons regularly. But I believe they will come out of each game better and fired up to be stronger and improve for the next match."