The two best teams in Singapore will clash this Sunday 17 February for the inaugural Singapore Charity Shield to mark the start of the 2008 NTUC Income-YEO’S S.League.
Double Winners Singapore Armed Forces FC will square off against league runners-up Home United at the Jalan Besar Stadium at 7.00pm with the S.League pledging S$5,000 to the charity of the winning team’s choice.
The inaugural Singapore Charity Shield Match will be the main event at the NTUC Income-YEO’S S.League Fan Fare, which kicks off at 4.00pm with a specially choreographed YOG (Youth Olympic Games) cheer in support of Singapore’s bid to host the 2010 Youth Olympics.
To support Singapore’s bid for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2010, 100 youth activists from Young NTUC - Singapore's largest youth movement – will be delivering a three-minute bespoken cheer. Penned and performed by Young NTUC members, the cheer will reflect the vitality and sporting spirit of Singaporean youths.
Other events lined up for the day include LIVE performances by Live The Dream finalists Revalina, hip hop group Fantastic Four and a Lion Dance by Yi Wei Athletic Association.
The Guest of Honour for the Singapore Charity Shield and the NTUC Income-YEO’S S.League Fan Fare is Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, President, FAS and Senior Minister of State for Law & Home Affairs.
Singapore Charity Shield 2008
SAFFC vs Home United
Sunday 17 February 2008
1900hrs
Jalan Besar Stadium
Facts and Figures ahead of the big match:
SAFFC and Home United are the two most successful clubs in S.League history. Together, they have accumulated 16 of the 27 major trophies on offer since the inception of the S.League in 1996.
SAFFC have won 6 S.League titles, 2 Singapore Cups, 1 FA Cup and 1 League Cup. Home United have won 2 S.League titles and 4 Singapore Cups.
Last season’s S.League and Singapore Cup Double was incidentally the first in SAFFC’s history. In 1997, they had in fact won the treble of the S.League, League Cup and FA Cup. Home did the Double in 2003.
Two former Geylang team-mates and best friends could come face-to-face on Sunday. Razaleigh Khalik and Syed Fadhil made the move from Bedok to Choa Chu Kang and Bishan respectively in the close season and will face each other for the first time in their professional careers.
SAFFC and Home United met once in the Singapore Cup Final, back in 2000 when an Ernie Tapai goal gave United a 1-0 win.
Former international midfielder Aidil Sharin, younger brother of former Singapore captain Aide Iskandar, has retired from the game after just one season at Choa Chu Kang. He failed to recover from a persistent injury and was forced to hang up his boots at only 30.
Aleksandar Duric is the only former Home United player currently in SAFFC colours. He turned out for Home for just one season in 2000, winning the Singapore Cup that year. He moved to Geylang the following season where he won the S.League title. He has been with the Warriors since 2005.
Duric scored 44 goals in domestic competition last season, breaking Mirko Grabovac’s record haul of 42 goals in 2001. He is on 224 goals in total, 20 goals behind Grabovac in the all-time goal-scoring charts.
In the history of the S.League, only a handful of players have made the move directly between the two arch-rivals. Aidil moved from Home to SAFFC last season after spending the majority of his career at Home. Goalkeeper Adi Salleh also made the switch from Home to SAFFC back in 2003. Fadzuhasny Juraime is the only player who played first for SAFFC before moving to Home via Tanjong Pagar United and the Young Lions.
Last season’s three meetings between the two clubs were split with both teams winning one apiece and the last match drawn.
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