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