The Football Association of Singapore has apologised for botching a tribute to local football icon Quah Kim Swee at an S-League match on Monday evening.

Kim Swee, part of the famous Quah family who starred for the Lions in the 1950s-1970s, died on Saturday at the age of 76 after a long battle with illness.

A one-minute silence was observed at Monday's match between the Courts Young Lions and Hougang United at the Jalan Besar Stadium, where a photo of the legendary striker was supposed to be displayed on the electronic scoreboard.

Instead, a picture of his brother Kim Lye - who is alive - was mistakenly shown, sparking confusion and anger among the 400-odd crowd. The image showed the 72-year-old - the sixth of 11 Quah siblings who represented Singapore in sports over the years - holding aloft the Malaysian Chinese Football Association Cup trophy in 1977.

In a statement, S-League chief executive Lim Chin apologised for the grave error: "It was a very bad mistake and we regret it very much. I want to apologise on behalf of the S-League to the Quah family, and to all whom we have disappointed.

"We also wish to express our deepest condolences to Kim Swee's family and loved ones."

Playing alongside top local names such as Rahim Omar and Majid Ariff, Kim Swee was part of the Singapore team that enjoyed its best-ever Asian finishes, a fourth place at the 1966 Bangkok Asian Games, losing the bronze-medal match to Japan.

Along with fellow forward Majid, Kim Swee also featured in the Asian All-Stars outfit who would play European sides touring the continent during the 1960s.