Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny 'amazed' by Chinese fans but taking outpouring of support with a 'pinch of salt'

SINGAPORE: The outpouring of support from Chinese football fans has been "amazing", but Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny is taking it all in with a "pinch of salt".

On Thursday (Jun 13), the 40-year-old told CNA he has "no right to feel happy" about the Lions' World Cup qualifier against Thailand, which Singapore lost 3-1.

"We came into the game without any pressure because mathematically we were out of the competition," he said.

"But again, we go into every game thinking about the three points. So, yes, we didn't get what we needed."

It was Hassan's performance in that game on Tuesday that captured the hearts of Chinese supporters and turned him into an overnight celebrity in the nation of 1.4 billion.

He made 11 saves, denying Thailand - who needed to win by three goals - the chance to leapfrog China into second place in the group.

As a result, China will join group leaders South Korea in the final round of Asian qualifiers for the World Cup.

Hassan said he and his teammates were feeling down after the loss to Thailand. But back in the locker room, his phone started buzzing with messages and emails.

"I was wondering what's happening. That's when I received a lot of positive messages, comments from people in China," he said.

"My family is obviously a bit shocked by all these messages. Especially my daughters, they're like, 'Why (do) I see your face everywhere?'"

The next day, grateful Chinese fans in Singapore thronged Dapur Hassan, his family's food stall in Tampines, causing it to sell out early.

Fans in China who wanted to express their gratitude transferred money to the stall's Alipay account, after netizens circulated photos of its payment QR code online.

"I did enjoy it for a while. I was like, oh okay, money coming in. But having said that, I was thinking when is this going to stop? Is this legal?" Hassan said.

He will soon issue a call for supporters to stop transferring money, after "calls from concerned people" who advised him to "stay away from all this to avoid any misunderstanding".

"I'm doing it for the safety of my career and my family," he told CNA. "I think we have to stop somewhere."

"I've come a long way. I started at the age of 18, 19. I'm 40 this year. Imagine all the struggles, all the sacrifices I've made," he said.

"I don't want to just jeopardise or destroy it in just one snap of the finger. So it's something I have to be careful (about)."

The money received so far will probably go into his savings and he may consider expanding Dapur Hassan, but his focus is on prolonging his football career.

On Thursday, a handful of Chinese fans also turned up at Jurong East Stadium to watch Hassan resume training with Albirex Niigata.

Asked about the newfound attention, the veteran, who made his professional debut in 2003 and earned his first cap in 2004, noted he has played football for a long time.

He has had his share of positive and negative comments. "Both, I take it with a pinch of salt," he said. "I will just brush it away. It's a brand new day, the day after."

That does not change how singular this experience has been for him, with the player expressing that he was "amazed" by the support given by the Chinese fans. 

"For the past few days, it's been, I would say, awesome for me, because it's something I've never experienced before," said Hassan.

The closest he has ever come to receiving such fan adoration before was in 2021, after his heroics during Singapore's AFF Suzuki Cup match against Indonesia.

"But this is something different," he said. "I've been receiving thank you messages ... like they're calling me 'father' and some calling me 'God' and stuff.

"This will die down soon," he said, but he is enjoying it while it lasts.