What would Singapore’s National Team look Like with 0 caps? – Celebrating the #NOCAP Squad Part 1
When Tatsuma Yoshida first took the reins of the national team, he ushered in a new era of Singapore football. Under icons V. Sundramoorthy and Fandi Ahmad, the national team had unfortunately grown stale during their tenures as national team managers, but Yoshida’s management was refreshing. Fans were behind the former Jurong FC player, and […]
Harimau Muda B 2.0? Not Quite – Part 2: Necessary Conditions For Singapore to Benefit
There are both pros and cons to the addition of JDT III to the SPL with any decision. Although, as I mentioned in the previous article, the pros outweigh the cons if certain conditions are established. If these conditions are met, then JDT III or other foreign teams would help the Singapore footballing landscape. The […]
Harimau Muda B 2.0? Not Quite – Part 1: Thoughts On JDT III’s potential inclusion in the SPL
Recently, the Crown Prince of Johor and Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim revealed that he is interested in sending their President Cup squad to play in the Singapore Premier League. If the move does materialise, it shares many similarities with the Harimau Muda B team [The Malaysia Under-21 National Football Team] […]
Hold Your Heads Up Boys, You’ve done us Proud: Singapore 0 – 3 Saudi Arabia
My palms became sweaty and my heart was in my mouth as the Saudi players launched attack after attack. As each Saudi attack fizzled out for a goal kick or throw in, it allowed me to catch my breath. However, it was but a momentary respite before play resumed again and my anxiety returned. Despite […]
‘El Loco’ – The Continental Tale Of Blake Ricciuto
You can learn a lot from a football player by his goal celebration. Kylian Mbappé’s understated shoulder fold comes to mind, a shout-out to his brother’s celebration of choice after scoring a goal in FIFA. A larger-than-life athlete, however, deserves a more glorious trademark – which calls to mind Cristiano Ronaldo and his now iconic […]
A Chat With The Mouth Of The North: R. Vengadasalam Part 2 – Stories to share and Thoughts on Football today
Do read Part 1 if you haven’t already! Launching The Woodlands Lions A private landscaper right now, he still contributes to the footballing scene with his most recent initiative, Woodlands Lions. Woodlands Lions was launched by Venga because he felt there was a need to establish a proper youth team. While the rest of the […]
Uzbekistan 5 – 0 Singapore: Some Positives In Another Crushing Defeat?
Given the 4-0 thumping by Palestine, Singapore’s chances of qualifying for the next round have become seemingly impossible. It doesn’t help that our last two fixtures are against the favourites in the group: Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia. The national team knew that beating the Uzbeks would be an insurmountable task but this is football after […]
A Tale Of Two Halves? Palestine 4-0 Singapore
The boys in red walked out of the tunnel, onto the pitch and lined up for the national anthem. As Majulah Singapura played, I couldn’t help but smile at the sight before me. I know that co-writer Kim was probably singing his lungs out at 2AM in the morning. International football has finally returned for […]
Majulah Singapura, It’s Time To Support The Lions
I will have the fortune of watching my Singapore national team compete in a matter of hours or so. We take on Palestine who have a lot to play for given the grave situation in the nation. I am also thankful to watch the Lions feature twice more in the week to come. Three matches […]
The Mouth Of The North: A Chat With R. Vengadasalam Part 1 – A Brief Overview
When it comes to controversy and immense passion for Singapore football, you don’t have to look much further than R. Vengadasalam. Endearingly called ‘Coach Venga’ by fans and players alike, he also goes by another moniker, ‘The Mouth Of The North.’ An apt name for the Woodlands Wellington icon who runs his mouth and isn’t […]
Addressing The Singapore National Team Selection
Our recent article featuring an interview with Kenny Poh Yi Feng certainly raised a few eyebrows. While we are grateful for the opportunity to share Kenny’s story, what caught my attention was the number of reposts of his article. Specifically, people were reposting his featured quote: “You will always think you have a chance but […]
Our Singapore Premier League Team Of The Week #9
The final fixtures before the international break have concluded. For the next month or so, we will not have any Singapore Premier League action, which means that we will not have any editions of our Team Of The Week until the resumption of the league in July. However, do not fret, for we have a […]
Meet Oriol Mohedano: The Tiger Tactician
Football in Cambodia is less renowned than other leagues in Southeast Asia, but make no mistake, it is a sleeping giant about to wake from its long slumber. Cambodians are passionate about the sport, and as more funds are being invested into the football landscape, it will certainly grow expediently. Only 34 years old, don’t […]
Part of a Forgotten Generation: The ‘Nice Guy’ Kenny Poh Yifeng Part 2
In Part 1, we looked at Kenny’s beginnings as a footballer, his time with Balestier Khalsa, and how he moved to Warriors FC. In this second part, we look at Kenny’s thoughts on the end of his career, his solitary national team cap, and what he has been up to today. For the next 4 […]
Our Singapore Premier League Team Of The Week #8
Once again, it was goals galore in the Singapore Premier League, and we have selected our best eleven from this past weekend’s matches. Tampines and Hougang were in red hot form this game week, with both clubs scoring 5 goals each in their respective wins over Balestier and Geylang. Elsewhere, Albirex narrowly beat the Young […]
On Harris Harun’s ‘Home’coming: Time For Someone To Walk The Plank?
I got inspired by Kim’s writing style and I’m taking a crack at it The calm waters have been disturbed. The other vessels search around for the source of this disturbance. And then, in the distance, they find it. A captain is boarding the dreadnaught that is Lion City Sailors. Sorry, scratch that. The Captain […]
Part of a Forgotten Generation: The ‘Nice Guy’ Kenny Poh Yifeng Part 1
When I first started the Interview Series, there was a group of commenters who routinely called for Kenny Poh Yi Feng to be interviewed after each article was produced. Well, my friends, here you go. The Foreign Talent Sports Scheme may have helped usher in Singaporean football’s period of success in the 2000s and early […]
Our Singapore Premier League Team Of The Week #7
Ah well, short-lived, wasn’t it? With increasing community cases in our little red dot, we have since moved to Phase 2 measures and consequently, fans are once again no longer allowed to attend live matches. That being said, I am thankful that the Singapore Premier League still continues. Barring the absence of fans, this week […]
From Japan, With Love – The Story Of Kyoga Nakamura
A group of scouts looked intently upon the football pitch in Japan’s Toyota Stadium, and they could all be seen jotting down notes, collectively seeking to unearth the next great footballing prospect to propel their clubs to dreams of silverware. But where they all contemplated the virtues of the different players, a smartly-dressed figure was […]
An American Watches the SPL
Vikram made me watch a week of Singaporean Football, and I have some thoughts… So I watched this most recent match week of the Singaporean Premier League as part of my taking part in Vikram’s SPL Team of the Week series. Saturday evening’s entertainment was Tanjong Pagar’s remarkable 2-2 draw against Tampines Rovers, while on […]
The Rory Winters Story Part 3: Shaping Minds and Careers
Read Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven’t already! In the second part of this three-part article, we shared how Rory experienced a revelation. Football may have been his first love, but coaching had been his calling in life. Guiding and nurturing others came naturally to Rory, who was extremely passionate about this new […]
Our Singapore Premier League Team Of The Week #6
This Gameweek marked a special moment for the Singapore Premier League. Starting from this week, up to 250 fans could come down and watch games without having to do a COVID-19 test. Many fans turned up in the various fixtures and their presence made a huge difference. I went down to catch the Sailors fixture […]
Understanding the Nepal Super League: A Conversation with Biratnagar City’s Subhashish Lala Koirala
Over the past month and a half, I’ve stumbled across the formation of a new league in Asia, the Nepal Super League. The franchise league was announced in March 2021, and its inaugural season commences April 24th of this year. Seven teams take part in the inaugural season, and the season lasts for about a […]
The SPL Round 1 Round-Up Part 2: The Bottom Half
In Part 1 we discussed the top half of the league The first round of the Singapore Premier League has concluded, and as teams prepare for the second round of fixtures, let’s take a look at how each team has fared. Despite the varying level of success of each club, one thing is for certain […]
The SPL Round 1 Round-Up Part 1: The Top Half
The first round of the Singapore Premier League has concluded, and as teams prepare for the second round of fixtures, let’s take a look at how each team has fared. Despite the varying level of successes of each club, one thing is for certain – it has been goals galore in the first 7 match […]
Aurelio Vidmar to BG Pathum United? Who Should The Sailors Turn To?
Disclaimer: I do not want Vidmar to leave the Sailors I stumbled across this article thanks to our pals at Lions Of Asia, and I think it is worth addressing. Yes, this may just be nothing more than the work of some journalists churning material for the rumour mill. However, let’s assume that this is […]
Our Singapore Premier League Team Of The Week #4
Game Week 4 saw Matchdays 5 and 6 unfold, and what a week indeed! It was goals galore in both matchdays with Tampines slotting 7 past Young Lions and Lion City Sailors racking up 8 goals against Geylang International. In this combined team of the week, we have a pretty diverse line-up from a range […]
Circumventing The K-League ASEAN Quota Conundrum
In 2020, the K-League launched the ASEAN Quota, where K-League clubs were given an extra foreign player spot for players from Southeast Asia. This move was designed to help expand the K-League’s marketability in the ASEAN region, but in the past 2 years, only one club has utilized it. In 2021, K2 club Ansan Greeners […]
Our Singapore Premier League Team Of The Week #2
Game Week 2 saw a ton of drama unfold, with Matchday 2 and Matchday 3 of the Singapore Premier League being played mid-week and over the weekends, respectively. To stress, we are featuring the players that have been consistent over the two matches. In that sense, don’t be that surprised about the sheer number of […]
We Need VAR For The Singapore Premier League To Help The Referees
While Game Week 2 showed signs of improvement from a refereeing standpoint, I think the Singapore Premier League can benefit from the inclusion of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. Why? Well, our current referees need all the help they can get. Bad calls ruin a game. Patrick Kinghorn has been pretty vocal opponent for the […]
Our Singapore Premier League Team Of The Week #1
My buddy Kim Ng co-wrote this one with me. Cheers Fam! The 2021 edition of the Singapore Premier League has finally kicked off, and what a thrilling first game week we’ve had. We want to start something new here at SoccerKakis, so we’re launching our very own Team Of The Week Series! Of course, your […]
Hearing From The Interviewees – Thoughts On the New Season
The 2021 Singapore Premier League Season is going to kick off in less than 24 hours, and while it’s a real shame that fans are unable to attend the matches in person, there is a lot of hype for this campaign. Several clubs have made high profile signings, and it’ll be interesting to see how […]
Breaking Barriers: A chat with Seut Baraing, one of Cambodia’s finest
Height has been a factor for some, if not many managers, when they select their players. Often, managers want tall, commandeering defenders who can win aerial battles and towering forwards who can easily head in goals. Thus, many shorter footballers often get overlooked because of their height. Take for example Angel Gomes at Manchester United. […]
Revisiting The Foreign Sports Talent Scheme
I grew up in an era when the Singapore National Team featured several naturalized players. The Foreign Sports Talent Scheme was introduced in 1993 by the Table Tennis Association, and the Football Association of Singapore adopted it in 2000. Itimi Dickson, Precious Emuejeraye, Agu Casmir, Qiu Li, Mirko Grabovac, Egmar Gonçalves, and Mustafić Fahrudin are […]
One Last Hurrah!: Young Lions Shouldn’t Be Scrapped (Just Yet)
Where do I begin with the Young Lions? The club was formed in 2003 to provide some of the most talented Under-23 footballers with regular professional footballing experience. Besides having the chance to play together on a regular basis and maintaining team cohesion, the Young Lions project provided these players the opportunity to play against […]
Re-evaluating the Under-23 Rule of the Singapore Premier League
I think change is mostly good. When an organization makes changes, it should be commended for actively making some positive change or at least intending to do so. Nevertheless, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the changes made after some time. In this light, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) needs to assess […]
Captain Cambodia: The Thierry Bin Tale
If you are an ardent follower of Southeast Asian football or a Cambodian football fan, Thierry Chantha Bin is definitely not an unfamiliar name to you. The Cambodian superstar has been a talisman for both club and country over the years. National team captain on multiple occasions, Thierry is an icon in Cambodia. Yet, unlike […]
Meet Geylang International FC Sensation Darren Teh Part 2: The Story Continues
In part 1, I looked at Darren Teh’s beginnings as a footballer and the professional journey he embarked on. Since signing with Geylang in 2017, Darren Teh has largely been a mainstay in the Eagles backline. In this second part, I will look at his professional career thus far, his national team call-up, and his […]
An Inspiration to Aspiring Footballers: Varghese Jayan, The Self-made Man Part 2
In Part 1, I looked at Varghese’s initial beginnings into football and how he managed to earn a move to Singapore to further his education with Temasek Polytechnic. During his first 2 years in Singapore, Varghese had played for Eunos Crescent and Katong in the National Football League (NFL). He had also had a month-long […]
Meet Taiichiro Saito, The Man Who Made Football His Life-long Career Part 2: Working with 40,000 Cambodian kids and The Ongoing Venture into Academy Management
In Part 1, I looked at Saito’s rarely spoken about playing career that saw him leave Japan and ply his trade in Singapore, Australia, Ghana, and Bolivia. However, at the age of 32, Saito decided it was time to draw his playing days to a close. Yet, it is always impossible for someone as passionate […]
An Inspiration to Aspiring Footballers: Varghese Jayan, The Self-made Man Part 1
If Varghese Jayan is an unfamiliar to you now, it won’t be soon. A speedy left winger, he recently signed with NEROCA FC in October 2020. On paper, it doesn’t seem like much – an Indian national signing with an Indian club, but there is so much to this story. For the past 3 years, […]
The Ludovic Casset Story Part 1: Making History in Vietnam
Ludovic “Ludo” Casset may be an unfamiliar name to many in Southeast Asia, but it is a name that many Vietnamese football fans are well aware of. The current Etoile FC Academy director in Singapore had a short but eventful professional playing career with Đà Nẵng F.C in the V.League 1. While some of his […]
Meet Taiichiro Saito, The Man who made football his life-long career Part 1: The rarely spoken about playing career
To the grassroots football fraternity in Singapore, Taiichiro Saito is a familiar name. Saito was the founder of Global Football Academy (GFA) and is the current founder and managing director of two organizations – Soriya (in Cambodia) and Football For Everyone. While COVID-19 may have grounded him in Singapore for months, Saito would have been […]
Meet Geylang International FC Sensation Darren Teh Part 1: The Story Before The Eagles
Darren Teh is no ordinary 24-year-old. Geylang International regular, National Team player, Financial Manager, Musician, Filial Son, Doting Husband, and Young Father are some of the many hats worn by the promising right back. At his age, Darren is an accomplished player who also, as the list above suggests, is riddled with commitments. Yet, despite […]
The Longest Serving French Jaguar: A chat with Anthony Aymard Part 2
Be sure to check out part 1 of this article if you haven’t already Before I begin with part 2, let me share some of my thoughts about part 1 of this article. The one thing worth admiring about foreigners like Aymard who try their luck overseas is that they often have to risk everything […]
The Longest Serving French Jaguar: A chat with Anthony Aymard Part 1
It would appear that I truly have a knack of tracking down former Étoile FC players… To ardent Tanjong Pagar United fans, Anthony Aymard is not an unfamiliar name. The French defender spent 3 seasons with the Jaguars between 2012 and 2015. I managed to track down Anthony Aymard recently and interview the player about […]
Statement Signing Stipe Plazibat Shines as Sailors overcome ten-man Eagles
Lion City Sailors have been making waves in the local footballing scene since tech firm Sea’s takeover of Home United. Besides becoming a fully privatized club, the Sailors have recently launched their football academy, and they made the news recently by becoming the first academy in Singapore to receive AFC’s one-star rating. Geylang International were […]
The Singapore Premier League is Back: Hougang Stun Tampines and Tanjong Pagar Made to Rue Missed Chances
After 211 days of local professional football being absent from our TV screens, the Singapore Premier League has finally resumed. However, there were certain changes made by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS). Instead of a three-round league, only 2 rounds would be played, with cup competitions cancelled. Moreover, just like many of the European […]
Taking Youth Football to Another level – A chat with Habil Hakim
For Singapore footballing standards in Singapore to grow, we need to ensure that there are enough opportunities for youth players to develop. This is why football academies are essential. Given the limited number of professional Singapore Premier League clubs, and by extension, the limited number of Centre of Excellences (COEs), football academies play an instrumental […]
Meet Gavin Lee, Singapore’s Brightest Coaching Prospect – Part 2: Takeaways thus far as Head Coach
In Part 1, I looked at Gavin’s journey to coaching in top flight football. In Part 2, I look at Gavin’s first full year as Tampines Rovers head coach and some of the things he has learned and experienced. Takeaways from His First Year There was a lot of buzz when Gavin got appointed as […]
The K-League is the new top destination for ASEAN footballers
Starting this season, the K-League has added an extra foreign player slot for players from ASEAN football federation members. Yes, that means that players from Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, and Myanmar could potentially feature in the K-League seasons to come. However, and mostly because of the coronavirus pandemic restricting travel, […]
Meet Gavin Lee, Singapore’s Brightest Coaching Prospect – Part 1: The Journey to Topflight Football
Even though Singapore has a professional football league with seven local professional clubs, the pool of players is small. There are many reasons for this, and one of them is the fact that most parents discourage their children from pursuing a professional career in sports. While many parents may be supportive of their children taking […]
The Jonathan Toto Exclusive Part 2 – Football Stardom in Singapore, A Greek Nightmare & Life after Football
In part 1, I examined Jonathan Toto’s career before playing in Singapore. From playing with Koulibaly and Pjanić in the FC Metz Academy to a stint with Hearts in Scotland, Toto had quite the eventful career by the time he was 21. It was this next chapter in Singapore where his footballing career really took […]
Never Giving Up, The Fisherman Turned Footballer: An exclusive with Chennai City’s Jockson Dhas
Once again, I hope my Tamil Language teachers are proud of me. I did this interview entirely in Tamil. After interviewing Sriram, my curiosity in Tamil Nadu and I-league football piqued. In my quest to expand my coverage of Asian football, I decided to interview another Indian footballer. This is the story of Jockson Dhas, […]
An Unforgettable Stint in France: The experience of 3 Singaporean teens at FC Nantes
Étoile FC has a special place in S.League history, mainly because of the many records and accolades they hold. Besides being the first club in Asia to be entirely comprised of European players, Étoile holds the distinction of being the first foreign club to win the S.League and the first club in Singapore to appoint […]
The Jonathan Toto Exclusive Part 1- From Rubbing Shoulders with Pijanic and Koulibaly to an Unrealized Scottish Dream
Featured Image by Davy Allan, London Hearts At one point in time, it appeared that Jonathan Toto was destined for footballing greatness. He played alongside Miralem Pjanić and Kalidou Koulibaly in the FC Metz Academy, but his career took on a different trajectory, partly due to the roles played by his agents. He was a […]
Working Hard to Reach His Potential: An Interview with Ignatius “Iggy” Ang
To many ardent Singaporean football fans, Ignatius “Iggy” Ang is a familiar name. The midfielder has played for several local clubs and even signed for Lions XII in 2014. While he was a youth player, his coaches regarded him as a star for the future. However, he hasn’t been able to reach that potential. Throughout […]
The Midfield Maverick Realizing his Footballing Dreams: An Exclusive with Chennai City FC’s Sriram
I spoke a mix of English and Tamil during this interview and I was happy that I still could string sentences together in a somewhat fluent manner. In Cricket Crazy India, there has been a recent surge in support for football. Don’t get me wrong, there have always been a dedicated minority in India that […]
The Resilient Utility Player, A Rarity In The Modern Game: An Interview with Tajeli Salamat
I had the opportunity to talk to Tajeli the other day, and it felt good talking with the current Lion City Sailors FC centre-back. I knew Tajeli from his time at Warriors FC, my favourite Singaporean team that was unfortunately forced to sit out of the 2020 season due to financial issues. If Tajeli is […]
The ‘Lion’ that got away: An exclusive with Sirina Camara Part 2
If you haven’t already done so, check out Part 1 of the article! The Unrealized Dream of Representing Singapore Camara wanted to give back to Singaporean football because the S.League and Home United not only gave him the chance to pursue a professional career, which was something he probably wouldn’t have in France, but also […]
Taking Roads Less Traveled: The Anders Aplin Story
Anders Aplin’s footballing story is an interesting one. In 2018, he made headlines when he became the first Singaporean player to sign with a Japanese team. Even though it was a loan move to Matsumoto Yamaga F.C, the deal caught my attention primarily because Anders Aplin was not a household name. 2 years earlier, Singapore’s […]
Bouncing Back: A Chat With Tampines Rovers No.1 Syazwan Buhari
In the past decade, two goalkeepers have dominated the national spotlight and have been used interchangeably. Don’t get me wrong, Izwan Mahbud and Hassan Sunny are great keepers. In fact, they are arguably Singapore’s greatest ever custodians in the past two decades. They have put in consistent performances for club and country over the years […]
Unearthing an Unsung Hero: An Exclusive Interview with Delwinder “Del” Singh
The Singapore Premier League (SPL), and its predecessor the S.league, has seen many great defenders grace the competition. Aide Iskandar, Baihakki Khaizan, Daniel Bennett, S. Subramani are just some of the hallmark names that come to mind. Yet, there are many unsung heroes that have played in the league as well. Often, these underrated players […]
What the K-league opener has taught other leagues
I missed football, and many elements of the K-league opener has reminded me why: Artificial fan sounds, a somewhat sluggish affair, and a wild moment when a 41-year old legend scores. The K-League opener has reminded football fans what we’ve been missing out on – the beautiful game. I don’t even watch the K-League but […]
Johor Darul Ta’zim’s success is down to one individual – Tunku Ismail Idris
Since 2014, Johor Darul Ta’zim have consecutively won the Malaysian Super League. In the history of Malaysian football, there has been no team as dominant for as long as JDT have. Unlike many Southeast Asian clubs, JDT has the financial muscle and is run exceptionally well. Under the leadership of the Crown Prince of Johor, […]
Asian Champions League Second Preliminary Round Preview
No real surprises in First Preliminary Round The Asian Champions League has finally commenced with the First Preliminary Round concluding with no real surprises. In my preview, I predicted that Ceres-Negroes, Bali United, Al-Riffa and Kuwait SC would all progress to the next round. Even though my predictions were right, I am surprised by some […]
Why the Singapore Premier League should adopt a Franchise mode
While the national team has been relatively weak in recent years, Singaporeans are very much still football-crazy. From diligently watching Premier League matches to playing Futsal with their friends, football is not just a way of life for many Singaporeans, but it is almost a religion. Growing up, I would often bond with my friends […]
Asian Champions League Preliminary Round Preview
The Asian Champions League is often overlooked by a good majority of football fans in Asia, but not me. Unbeknownst to most of my friends, I enjoy the competition. I don’t enjoy it as much as the AFC Cup [Asia’s equivalent of the Europa League], but that’s because I root for the Southeast Asian teams […]
