Despite losing 0-1 to the South Korean team away from home, the Chinese national football team still managed to advance to next round of qualification on June 2, with Singapore’s 1-3 loss to Thailand being the decisive factor.

The forward who scored a goal, Fandi, and the goalkeeper, Sunny, were hailed as heroes by Chinese fans. Especially Sunny, who made multiple crucial saves against Thailand’s barrage of 35 shots on goal. He even received a yellow card for time-wasting during injury time, becoming the hero of the miracle.

Photo/livestream

Reports indicate that today (June 12), numerous Chinese fans have flown to Singapore, making Sunny’s restaurant their first stop in Singapore. As of noon on June 12, 20% of the Ctrip car service orders in Singapore were directly from Changi Airport to Sunny’s restaurant. Drivers on the scene reported seeing many Chinese fans lining up to buy meals as a way to thank Sunny in person.

Photo/livestream

Born in 1984, Sunny currently plays for the Albirex Niigata (Singapore) club and is regarded as the greatest goalkeeper in Singapore’s history. However, nearing 40 and approaching the end of his professional career, he has also developed a side business to support himself.

During the off-season, Sunny spends time honing his cooking skills. In 2021, he and his family opened a coconut rice restaurant named Dapur Hassan (“Hassan’s Kitchen”), which, in addition to coconut rice, also sells some Malaysian dishes. Every weekend, long lines form at Sunny’s restaurant, where diners might also encounter players from the Singapore team.

Photos of him cooking at the restaurant can be found on food websites. This small restaurant carries his hopes for life after retirement. The restaurant is also listed on Dianping, where it currently has a rating of 3.8. Netizens have called it a “must-visit for Chinese fans in Singapore,” with the first review posted on March 22 this year, after which many fans left messages.

Following the match, many fans left messages saying they had visited the restaurant.

Additionally, the restaurant’s payment code was discovered, and many fans “ate virtually” by sending money to this code…

A fan from Shanghai said that his emotions fluctuated wildly with the Chinese team’s performance that night, and the final result of advancing made him excited. He expressed this emotion by sending money to the Singaporean goalkeeper’s coconut rice restaurant.

Sunny responded to the enthusiasm of the Chinese fans. After the match, Sunny’s teammate recorded a video in which Sunny said, “Thank you, China!”

In addition to Sunny, the main central defender and captain of the Singapore team, Harun, also works part-time as a real estate agent. And it is these part-time “restaurant owners” and “agents” who saved the Chinese national team.

Furthermore, the official Weibo comment section of the Singapore Tourism Board was flooded with messages from Chinese fans: “On behalf of the Chinese men’s football team, thumbs up to you,” “I represent the national team, thank you,” “Singapore, tonight you have 1.4 billion fans”…

According to Qunar Index, the instant search index for Singapore spiked by 5.2 times compared to the previous week following the match on June 11. Popular hotel districts in Singapore include Sentosa, Marina Bay, Merlion Park, and Clarke Quay. Currently, there are still many high-end luxury hotels in Singapore priced under a thousand yuan.

Xiao Peng, a researcher at the Qunar Big Data Research Institute, analyzed that Singapore currently offers visa-free entry to Chinese citizens, making it possible for a spontaneous trip to Singapore. Besides visiting the coconut rice restaurant of Singapore’s goalkeeper Sunny, Singapore also has attractions like Universal Studios, Sentosa, Merlion Park, suitable for a quick weekend getaway.