Daniel Bennett urges fans to come and watch ‘real football’ at inaugural Soccer7sSeries
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Former Singapore national players Shahril Ishak (left) and Daniel Bennett conducting the women's category draw during the tournament draw for the inaugural soccer7series tournament.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
- The Soccer7s series features 16 men's, 10 women's, and 10 Masters teams, including Asian sides and local teams like Geylang International.
- Ex-Premier League stars, including Leicester City's title-winning team, will participate; Ex-Lion Daniel Bennett anticipates competitive matches and good fan support.
- It will add to the July football fiesta also featuring the youth Lion City Cup and star-studded Singapore Festival of Football.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – The month of July is turning out to be a football fiesta for fans in Singapore with the future, present and past generations on display.
First they will be treated to the cream of the Republic’s upcoming talent as the Under-16 boys and girls’ teams do battle in the Lion City Cup from July 8-13 at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
After that, the stars from Arsenal, Newcastle United and AC Milan will fly in for the Singapore Festival of Football from July 23 to 27 at the National Stadium.
At almost the same time, numerous retired local and international stars will be among those showcasing their skills at the inaugural Soccer7sSeries from July 25 to 27 at Jalan Besar.
While fans are spoilt for choice, former Singapore international Daniel Bennett is plugging for the Soccer7s, where he will be among the participants, even though the tournament will be fighting with the star-studded Festival of Football for eyeballs.
“Singapore hasn’t had anything like this for so many years. We just hope that the fans come down and watch some real football,” the 47-year-old Bennett, who hung up his boots in 2023, said during the draw for the tournament at voco Orchard hotel on July 8.
The Soccer7sSeries, inspired by other dynamic formats such as the Baller League in the United Kingdom and Gerard Pique’s Kings League, is an invitational global seven-a-side tournament featuring top-tier clubs such as German giants Borussia Dortmund, as well as Brazilian powerhouses Corinthians and Vasco da Gama.
There are 16 teams in the men’s Open competition, 10 in the women’s and 10 in the Masters categories.
Asian sides in the fray include Shanghai Shenhua, Setagaya United of Japan, Taichung Rock of Chinese Taipei, Malaysia’s Selangor FC, Indonesia’s Persib Bandung, Vietnam’s SHB FC and Thailand’s Ratchaburi.
The local teams include those from Geylang International, Singapore FC and Cosmo Select.
The Masters entries include a team featuring players from Leicester City’s 2015-16 English Premier League title winning side, such as captain Wes Morgan, Danny Drinkwater, Danny Simpson, Robert Huth and Marc Albrighton. Also competing are an All-Stars team represented by ex-Premier League striker Marlon Harewood, and Paul Konchesky, who played for Liverpool and England.
Other former Premier League stars such as Dean Ashton, David Nugent and Robert Earnshaw will also be coming.
Bennett, who will be playing for the Singapore FC Masters, said: “Look at the names of the clubs who are coming, the players who are coming. It’s real football and it’s seven-a-side. It’s so exciting.”
His team are in Group B with Borussia Dortmund, the EPL All-Stars team, Singa Legends, featuring former national forward Aleksandar Duric, and Forest Reds, from Nottingham Forest.
Group A comprises Leicester City Masters, and teams from Corinthians, Persib, Cosmo and Real Singapura.
Bennett is expecting exciting action at the tournament, noting that Morgan was “really serious about the tournament” when they spoke a month ago.
“A lot of (their players) only just retired, so they have their pride. Maybe you think they’re coming to have a good time but as soon as those players get on the field, it’s competitive,” said Bennett, who is Singapore’s most capped player with 142 appearances for the Lions.
The tournament will see him reunite with his former Singapore teammates Shahril Ishak, 41, and Lionel Lewis, 42. Together, they have a total of 353 caps.
Former captain Shahril, now the head of youth at Singapore Football Club, is excited for this “new era”.
“It’s a platform to show the talent in Singapore. With top clubs coming in, (it’s) exposure for the team to be here,” said Shahril, who retired in 2023.
He added: “I think it’s a good experience. I (can) go back to Jalan Besar and (play) with my ex-teammates. I hope (the fans) will support us.”
Soccer7sSeries chief executive officer Dom Lane said: “With top clubs from across the world signing on, we’re excited to deliver a feast of faster football for fans. We have a clear vision and ambition to expand to other international markets.”
When asked how he was able to attract these top clubs, he said: “It doesn’t take much of a sales technique. You ask them and you say you’re having an event in Singapore. Everyone knows it’s first-world standards. It’s safe, it’s efficient and people want to come.”
Tickets for the Soccer7sSeries are available at https://ticketmaster.sg/activity/detail/25sg_soccer7s
