On the evening of June 11th, the Chinese team lost 0-1 to the South Korean team, while the Thai team won 3-1 against the Singapore team. In the end, China narrowly advanced to the round of 16. This qualification marks China's third consecutive advancement to the final stage of the World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region, and each time they advanced in the final round.
Looking back on the highlights of the match, Sunny's brilliant performance
In stoppage time of 7 minutes, with Thailand leading 3-1, all Chinese fans were on edge, knowing that if Thailand scored another goal, they would overtake China in the rankings and advance. At this critical moment, Singapore's goalkeeper, Sunny, who had performed exceptionally well throughout the match, once again stepped up. Not only did he prevent Thailand from scoring another goal, but he even received a yellow card for time-wasting.
In this match, besides Vandi's stunning goal in the 56th minute, another crucial figure in "assisting" China's advancement was the 40-year-old goalkeeper, Sunny. Throughout the game, he made 11 saves, thwarting numerous attacking attempts by the Thai team. Moreover, even during stoppage time, he continued to defend the goal diligently, earning a yellow card in the 95th minute for time-wasting.
As a result, Sunny has been hailed by Chinese fans as "the greatest goalkeeper in Singaporean history." In addition to football, Sunny maintains his livelihood by pursuing other ventures. In 2021, he and his family opened a stall selling coconut rice. There are even photos of him personally cooking at the stall on food websites.
Chinese fans are expressing their love for Sunny extensively
After the match, Sunny garnered a large number of Chinese fans, with many expressing their gratitude towards him. Some fans said, "It is the great people of Singapore who have helped Chinese football. The Chinese people will not forget you."
Some fans even left comments on Sunny's shop's social media, saying, "I will visit your shop in Singapore!"
In addition, Sunny's restaurant page on review platforms has been discovered by fans, with some fans giving the restaurant high ratings in appreciation.
Sunny's stall attracts a crowd of both big and small internet celebrities, making the live broadcast scene at his stall extremely lively.
In addition to Sunny, the Singapore team's main center-back and captain, Harun, also works part-time as a real estate agent. It was these part-time "street vendors" and "agents" who made up the team that saved the Chinese team.