‘The magic never fades’: A Liverpool game through the eyes of their Singapore fans


‘IT’S INCREDIBLE’

As a sea of ​​red rolled through the Singapore Sports Hub on Friday night, Mr Abdul Aleem made his way to his seat behind the Crystal Palace goal.

An avid football fan, his love affair with the beautiful game began decades ago during the heyday of the Malaysian Cup.

At the time, his family could not afford tickets. Instead, Mr Aleem would climb on pillars of the old National Stadium to watch the stars of the Singapore national team.

But his other love has always been Liverpool.

Although he has never watched a game at Anfield, he saw them in action in Singapore twice in 2001 and 2009.

When it was announced that they would be returning, there was only one thing left to do: call his Liverpool-loving nephew and buy tickets.

Mr. Aleem soaked up the atmosphere and sang along with his fellow die-hard fans, applauding the players as the compositions were played.

“It’s overwhelming – look how many red shirts there are. It’s the best thing after watching the game at Anfield so you have to seize the moment,” he said.

Mr Aleem’s two favorite players, Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz, started for the Reds.

“I’m just here to enjoy the game, win or lose (it doesn’t matter) as long as I enjoy it,” added Mr Alam, who also brought his 12-year-old son Zachary Iskandar to the game.