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The recent game between Singapore and Thailand was shocking for many reasons.
But no, it wasn’t just because of Ikhsan Fandi’s 57th-minute goal.
One of the most unexpected situations was Hassan Sunny’s overnight popularity with Chinese football fans.
Chinese Football Fans Flocked to Sunny’s Nasi Padang Store
While the match between Singapore and Thailand ended in another loss for the Lions, it wasn’t all joyous for the Thai team either.
The Thais needed to win by a three-goal margin to advance to the final round of Asia’s qualifiers, to move past China who was in second place.
However, after Lion’s goalkeeper Hassan Sunny recorded 11 saves against the Thai team and Ikhsan Fandi’s powerful goal, China progressed over Thailand.
This happened despite China losing 1-0 to the already qualified South Korean team.
Because of this, Hassan has been hailed a hero by Chinese fans in online forums and news outlets, as they publicised details of his Nasi Padang store in Tampines.
Fans flocked to the coffee shop on 12 June 2024 as many even took photos with the store’s green signboard.
@eatai786 Singaporean football player @hassansunny18 suddenly go viral in China, because of a match yesterday, he’s hero in China now. Most importantly,he’s our Muslim brother. I went to his Nasi Lemak Shop and had a little chat with his family. All of Chinese there to show support. alhamdulillah.#eat爱 #chinesemuslim ♬ 原声 – EatAi亦太（HalalFoodie）
Of course, fans also made it a point to thank teammate Ikhsan Fandi, who scored a single goal against Thailand.
Many posted comments of gratitude to the striker on his Instagram:
Five-Star Reviews and Transferring Money
As Hassan’s nasi padang store drew large crowds, many patrons/fans made it a point to leave five-star reviews.
Even those who didn’t get the chance to head down to try the food decided to give him a solid five stars.
Interestingly enough, during Singapore’s match with China, our Lions managed to hold a 2-2- draw with them.
However, this wasn’t on the minds of the fans, as some even decided to transfer money to the stall as their QR payment code made its rounds on social media.
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Wanting to transfer an auspicious number over, one fan told Sina News that he had initially wanted to transfer S$188.88 but calmed himself down and transferred S$50 instead, which equates to 268.88 yuan.
Truly a huat moment.
In a quick clip, Hassan thanks his Chinese fans, offering a simple “Xie xie, China”, while Ikhsan added that “he saved China.”
Who would’ve thought that our 3-1 loss would lead to such fandoms being created – the world is truly a strange and amazing place.
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