Qiu Li (Chinese: 邱礼, born June 6, 1981 in Shenyang, Liaoning, China) is a naturalised Chinese-Singaporean professional association football player. He currently plays as a midfielder/striker for the Home United FC in the S. League.
Football career
Qiu aka Ah Pui started his senior career in Changchun Yatai and transferred to Liaoning Zhongyu in 2001. He was released by the club in 2005 as he was surplus to requirements.
Pui was brought to Singapore to play for the now defunct S. League club, Sinchi FC. After the club decided to pull out of the S-league for the 2006 season, he stayed in Singapore and agreed on a contract with the Young Lions where he excelled with 19 goals from 25 matches played. He joined Home United in 2007 but failed to find his form and joined Tampines Rovers FC in 2008. Impressive displays in his debuting two seasons earned him Singapore citizenship. He returned to Home United FC in 2011.
He made his debut for the national team in 28 May 2008, in the friendly against Bahrain.
However on the 24th of November 2008, FIFA banned Qiu Li from playing for Singapore because he did not meet the new criteria stating that a new citizen needs to reside in his new country for 5-years. Qiu Li had only lived in Singapore for 3 years. Thus he would be only eligible for international football come 2010.
On 23 July 2011, Qiu Li scored his first goal (finally) in the first leg of the World Cup Qualifier played at a sold out crowd at Jalan Besar Stadium. Singapore won 5–3.
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