LION GOALKEEPER HASSAN DENIES RECEIVING OVER 5 MILLION IN TIPS, URGES CHINESE FANS TO STOP “SENDING MONEY”

13 June 2024 — Singapore, Due to his indirect “help” in advancing the Chinese team to the top 18 of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, Singapore’s “Lions” national football team’s chief goalkeeper Hassan, who has been “idolized” by Chinese fans, admitted in his first interview after returning to his country on Thursday (June 13) that he was flattered by the enthusiasm of Chinese fans. He urged Chinese fans not to “send money” across borders to avoid falling into scams.

In Tuesday’s (11th) World Cup qualifiers, although the Lions lost 1–3 to Thailand away, securing the bottom of the group and elimination, Hassan blocked 11 shots from the Thai team, preventing them from winning by a larger margin. This allowed the Chinese team to advance based on their head-to-head record, making Hassan a “savior” in the eyes of Chinese fans.

Moreover, to prevent Thailand from scoring more goals, Hassan deliberately delayed time during stoppage time, receiving a yellow card. These actions were interpreted by Chinese fans as “divine assistance” for the Chinese team, leading them to express their gratitude to Hassan in various ways.

Not only did they flood Hassan’s Instagram account, praising him as comparable to European goalkeeping legends like Buffon, Neuer, and Courtois, but fans also bought his branded nasi lemak in bulk.

Reporters from Lianhe Zaobao visited Hassan and his wife’s nasi lemak stall “Dapur Hassan” in Tampines for two consecutive days, finding long queues both days. Some Chinese fans even arrived with luggage to “check-in and pay homage” at the stall.

Many Chinese fans also sent money directly to Hassan through the stall’s QR code, causing it to be overloaded and temporarily suspended by the bank.

Addressing online rumors that he received S$5.8 million in tips in one day, the 40-year-old goalkeeper, who plays for Albirex Niigata in the Singapore Premier League, laughed during a media interview after club training at Jurong East Stadium on Thursday, saying, “If I had received such a large amount, I wouldn’t be training here. It’s impossible, especially in Singapore where everything is clear-cut.”

When asked how much money he had received, he said, “It’s hard to monitor, but tonight I will use social media to urge Chinese fans to stop these transfers because I have noticed some fake QR codes circulating online.”

Around 10:30 PM on Thursday night, Hassan posted a statement in Chinese on social media, advising fans to stop transferring money.

Hassan: Will Donate the Money

As for how he would handle the money, he said without hesitation, “Of course, I will donate it. When you receive money that doesn’t belong to you, you have to donate it.”

However, Hassan expressed deep gratitude for the support from Chinese fans, saying, “It’s great to receive such recognition, but I was just doing my job. In terms of results, this is nothing to be proud of. But for me, to receive such recognition from other countries feels really great.”

He added, “My phone keeps buzzing, but I think this hype will soon die down. I’ll just take it as a compliment and not get carried away. It’s a great experience, and such support is not something you get every day. Honestly, we rarely receive such support in Singapore, so it’s truly incredible.”

Open to Playing in China

Now that he has gained fame in China, would he consider playing there? Hassan candidly said, “At my age (40), why not? When good opportunities arise, I will consider making the best decision for me and my family.”

Hassan also revealed that he received many emails and messages asking him to register a Douyin account and even invitations to meet fans in China.

Regarding the Douyin account, he said that club staff are helping him with it. As for meeting fans in China, it’s challenging since he spends most of his time on matches and training.

Albirex Niigata will play against Young Lions in the Singapore Premier League on Saturday (15th).

Despite not publicly announcing the training time, several Chinese fans still came to the Jurong East Stadium on Thursday afternoon just to catch a glimpse of Hassan. Wang Peng (37) was one of them.

Wang Peng, from Qingdao, has been on vacation in Singapore for a week. He admitted that he didn’t know Hassan when the Lions played home and away against the Chinese team. However, after watching Hassan’s outstanding performance on TV and seeing how he indirectly helped the Chinese team advance to the top 18 of the World Cup, Wang Peng instantly became a fan. He visited Hassan’s nasi lemak stall over the past two days and arrived early at the Jurong East Stadium on Thursday to wait for Hassan.

He said, “We now call him ‘Brother Sunny’ in China, and we refer to his wife as ‘sister-in-law’.”

Originally published at https://www.zaobao.com.sg in mandarin.

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