Geylang International head coach Mohd Noor Ali’s interview with Singapore’s Malay daily Berita Harian is sure set to raise the blood pressure of the people in charge at the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).
In a TikTok video interview posted on 10 January, the former national midfielder said that football in Singapore should only be taken as a hobby.
TMSG was also alerted to the interview by five readers who sent us the video through DM.
“Football in Singapore is a just a hobby.
“You enjoy playing the game, you love playing the game.
“If you are fortunate, you get to play for the national team.”
He also surmised that it would be tough to breed a pro-football culture in Singapore given the realities on the ground which probably explains why Singapore has begun to struggle in performance over the last decade or so.
The last time Singapore lifted the ASEAN Football Federation Championship biennial tournament was in 2012.
“We need to know what is our culture,” he said.
“In Singapore, studies always comes first for parents.
“We want our kids to excel in their studies first, because we know what is the living standards in Singapore is not easy.”
He also lamented how footballers in Singapore, unlike the Lionel Messis and Cristiano Ronaldos of the world, will not be able to retire once their football days are over.
“We cannot retire after playing football in Singapore,” he shared.
“We still have a house to pay for, a car to pay for.
“We are not playing in Europe where we can come back and settle down.”
He also said the state of the game was “too stagnant” and that players were “too complacent”.
Noor also felt that change for football in Singapore needs to start at the ground level and could well take 20 or 30 years to see results.
Watch and listen to the interview.
MAIN PHOTOS: TikTok@beritahariansg
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