Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny gains fame in China for 11 saves against Thailand
Singapore's goalkeeper, Hassan Sunny, emerged as an unexpected hero for China, saving their World Cup aspirations. Despite Thailand's win against Singapore, Hassan's 11 saves thwarted a larger goal difference, securing China's advancement. Chinese fans now flock to his stall, celebrating his remarkable feat.
SINGAPORE: Hassan Sunny, Singapore's 40-year-old goalkeeper, was hailed as an unlikely saviour for China on Wednesday (12 June) after his stellar performance helped keep China's World Cup dreams alive.
China's hopes of reaching the third stage of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup were hanging by a thread following a 1-0 defeat to South Korea in Seoul on Tuesday.
Thailand needed to beat Singapore by three goals in Bangkok to overtake China and secure second place in Group C, which would have ended China's World Cup hopes.
Although Thailand beat Singapore, it was only by a score of 3-1, Hassan's 11 saves in a man-of-the-match performance were instrumental in limiting the goal difference.
Hassan's heroics, along with Ikhsan Fandi’s goal, meant that China progressed instead due to a better head-to-head record over Thailand, despite their 1-0 loss to already-qualified South Korea in Seoul.
As a result, Hassan has become a hero among Chinese fans on online forums, with some Chinese news outlets even publicizing details of his Muslim food stall in Tampines.
On the social media platform Weibo, the hashtag "Singapore goalie thanks Chinese fans," accompanied by a short clip of Hassan saying "Xiexie, China," racked up at least 130 million views.
The clip was flooded with comments from grateful Chinese fans.
Following this, Hassan's stall in a coffee shop at Block 144 Tampines Street 12 quickly became a hotspot for Chinese fans on 12 June.
Multiple videos shared on China's social media platforms, including Douyin and Weibo, depicted a long queue of customers in front of Hassan's stall.
Some of them also took selfies with the stall’s green signboard in the background.
Some Chinese netizens commented:
"The last line of defence for our national team tonight."
"Many athletes abroad have both primary and secondary jobs, but ours are full-time and still perform like this."
"Those travelling to Singapore, remember to visit his stall."
"I cried. Hassan, the King of Football, you are the saviour of China's national football team."
There are also Chinese influencers taking photos with Hassan's wife at the stall:
The QR payment code for Hassan's stall began circulating among Chinese fans, and some decided to transfer money to the stall to express their appreciation.
Other screenshots of payment transfers shared with Sina News show that the transfer amounts ranged between S$1 and S$100.
Chinese football fans see China's advancement in the qualifiers as an opportunity for younger footballers to gain international experience, enhancing the national team's quality.
In response, Hassan said, "Xie Xie (thank you in Mandarin), China!" in a video, as his teammate Ilhan Fandi quipped, "He saved China, ah."
