Bounce back, Young Lions, says ex-national footballer after 0-7 drubbing by M'sia in SEA Games

It was a new low.

Singapore suffered our worst defeat at the SEA Games football competition since 1971 after a 7-0 loss to Malaysia at the Prince Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Thursday (May 11).

Stomper Jackson shared a Facebook posted on Saturday morning (May 13) by Rocky Lim Tien Jit who was a member of that 1971 team.

"Chin up, Singapore's 2023 SEA Games football team," said the former Singapore national player.

"Down 0-7, persevere and train harder, play with more 'semangat' ('spirit') and prove the naysayers wrong – hopefully.

"Singapore experienced a thumping 1-8 shellacking by Burma (now Myanmar)."

That was during the 1971 SEAP Games in Kuala Lumpur.

"In the 70s, Burma was the powerhouse in Asian football. That team eventually qualified and played at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games together with Malaysia.

"Like the current SEA Games players, some of the 1971 Singapore team were still at national service 'virgin age', 20 years young.

"We persevered over six years and by the Almighty's grace, we were rewarded with a big 1977 Malaysia Cup champions medal."

Seven members of the 1971 team played on the 1977 team: Dollah Kassim, Lim Chiew Peng, Lim Tien Jit, Samad Allapitchay, S. Rajagopal, M. Kumar and Quah Kim Song.

The Stomper said: "To our current and future players, coaches and FAS (Football Association of Singapore) chief, think positively. Put in our trademark 'semangat' and honest-to-goodness effort together. There is still a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Good luck. The best is yet to come."