Fans hoping underdogs bite back

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SINGAPORE - Football fans do not often congregate at Durty Nellys on Fridays but the pub at Clarke Quay will be where members of the newly-formed "Lions All The Way" fan club gather tonight to watch Singapore in action against China in the opening Group A match of the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Across town in Ang Mo Kio, blogger Ko Po Hui will be sitting down with friends at a kopitiam to savour the action and hope the Lions can get a positive result in the thin air of Kunming, located 1,900m above sea level.

Another diehard fan, Ayyub Kay, will be hoping to catch some of the action on the television screens at his workplace, while carrying out his duties as a customer representative at Pure Fitness, a gym chain.

With the match telecast live on MediaCorp's Channel 5 (7.55pm), thousands others will be watching from the comfort of their living rooms, and one can be sure the neighbourhood will erupt in cheers should Singapore manage a goal or two.

Speaking to Today, the fans all shared an air of hope and quiet optimism for what they perceive to be a tough task for the Lions.

Ko, who is well-regarded in the local football community for his blog, is tempering his expectations: "Compared to the win over Malaysia in late July, this is football on an entirely different level. A draw will be a good result and with opening matches often setting the tone for the entire campaign, it will be important for the Lions not to lose."

Kay is interested in seeing how the Singapore lads cope with opponents of a higher calibre. China are 69 and Singapore 129 in the FIFA rankings.

"I think it's safe to say a majority of local fans do not expect the Lions to win in Kunming, but we all want to see whether the players play with the pride expected of them when they pull on the national jersey," Kay said.

For Arief Aditya, organiser of the 50-strong "Lions All The Way", the Singapore-China clash marks the start of a new adventure for him as this will be his first away match as a fan.

The 22-year-old student and two other friends fly out to the Yunnan capital today to link up with three other members of "Lions All The Way". Armed with the Singapore flag and a banner, they will be among a group of 30 Lions fans at the Tuodong Stadium, urging on their team.

"The Lions have prepared well for this match and should be properly acclimatised. I think for many of the players, missing out on celebrating Hari Raya at home would give them the added motivation to fight all out," said Arief.