The article “Can Singapore replicate Cape Verde’s strategy to achieve its World Cup dream?” (July 9) made me think again what Singapore football once meant to us, and what it could still become.
The answer lies not only in talent or funding, but in the platform, pride and belief we build around the game.
Looking back, the Malaysia Cup gave Singapore football such a platform. Those of my generation remember what it gave us. The Kallang Roar was an incredible expression of national unity – Singaporeans cheering for one team as one team. We remember Dollah Kassim, Quah Kim Song, V. Sundramoorthy and Fandi Ahmad. Few things since have matched that sense of shared identity.
A return is worth considering, not as a national team, but with club sides. One way is to strengthen Singapore Premier League (SPL) structures as community-based clubs with geographic identities. Clubs like Tampines Rovers and Geylang International could be rooted more deeply in their communities, through academies, coaching programmes and junior leagues.
The clubs could continue their SPL fixtures while earning places in the Malaysia Cup.
With Malaysia Cup places at stake, every fixture matters. Interest follows stakes, and crowds follow interest. Families go to the neighbourhood stadium as their club, with the district name and local players, is playing for something meaningful.
Greater interest can attract sponsors and revenue, allowing more investment in academies, coaches and facilities. Over time, the ecosystem becomes sustainable.
Imagine a full Jalan Besar Stadium for a derby between Tampines Rovers and Geylang International, with the winner travelling to Malaysia to face Selangor. That is the kind of occasion that creates players, supporters and memories.
Singapore has excelled in many fields, including sport. Football may be harder, not because talent is absent but because the platform is missing. With imagination, commitment and the right platform, that can be fixed.
Lim Yu Tang