1. FANDI AHMAD
GRONINGEN 2 INTER MILAN 0, OCT 19, 1983
The most clinical striker the nation ever produced put Singapore on the world map when he scored a left-footer against the Italian giants to secure a 2-0 win in their second round, first-leg Uefa Cup match. Almost 40 years on, Fandi remains the only Singaporean to play and succeed at such a high level in Europe.
2. V. SUNDRAM MOORTHY
SINGAPORE 8 BRUNEI 0, SEPT 28, 1993
The goal every football-loving Singapore fan above 30 will remember. Sure, this was a Malaysian Division II league match, but the finish was world-class.
Nazri Nasir's cross from the right looked to be aimed at Malek Awab at the back post. But Sundram, who dashed ahead of Malek, improvised. The Dazzler spun around, and with his back to goal, launched himself into the air and connected with a bicycle kick so sweetly that the goalkeeper could only parry the shot in off the bar.
3. INDRA SAHDAN
SINGAPORE XI 1 MAN UNITED 8. JULY 24, 2001
Current United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opened the scoring in the 30th minute, but United did not count on the Lions to muster a response just minutes later.
Indra's off-the-ball running was superb as he dragged Gary Neville infield, darted wide to receive Noh Rahman's pass, and his finish, and celebration, were exquisite. Never mind the final score, Indra can boast to his grandchildren he is the only Singaporean to have scored against a star-studded United.
4. NOH ALAM SHAH
SINGAPORE 11 LAOS 0, JAN 15, 2007
It was a day when the Lions and, in particular, Alam Shah could not stop scoring. To think he was not even supposed to be in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship squad because he was not fully fit.
After scoring five to make it 8-0, he asked to be substituted as he saw the Laotians' spirits were broken. But Radojko Avramovic kept his striker on, and was rewarded with two more goals, including a scissors kick to cap a historic night that remains a national record. Alam Shah quipped: "My form was so good, or maybe I was so lucky, I think I could have scored even from the toilet!"
5. SHAHRIL ISHAK
SAFFC 2 HOME UNITED 5, JULY 16, 2010
It was a golden hat-trick that perhaps cemented Shahril's claim to be the 2010 S-League Player of the Year. The best of the bunch was his second goal. Not satisfied with rounding Shahril Jantan once, he cut back infield, dummied the goalkeeper again before scoring with his weaker left foot despite the attention of another two defenders.
6. QIU LI
SINGAPORE 5 MALAYSIA 3. JULY 23, 2011
Malaysia led this 2014 World Cup qualifier within 30 seconds but Qiu put the Lions ahead in the 22nd minute, finding the top corner from a free kick. Avramovic would complain the forward nearly broke his back, but his beautiful strike definitely cracked the opponents' resistance.
7. SUFIAN ANUAR
LIONSXII 2 BETARIA 0, MARCH 10, 2012
A local take on tiki-taka. From goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud's goal kick, 10 LionsXII players had stroked the ball across the pitch and amassed 25 passes before Shahdan Sulaiman's delightful back-heel took out five defenders. Sufian then flicked the ball over the Betaria goalkeeper to kill off the Malaysia FA Cup round-of-16 game.
8. FABIAN KWOK
ALBIREX NIIGATA 4 GEYLANG INTERNATIONAL 2, MAY 8, 2014
The Albirex goalkeeper had just come off his line to clear the ball but Geylang midfielder Kwok volleyed it back from inside the centre circle and into the top corner during their S-League match. He proved that it was no fluke when he scored another long-range howitzer on the half volley, this time for Tampines Rovers against Geylang, the following year.
9. KHAIRUL AMRI
SINGAPORE 3 THAILAND 1, DEC 19, 2012
The forward made it 2-1 with a lovely pirouette and cool finish into the bottom corner. Singapore would take a two-goal advantage to Bangkok for the second leg of the AFF Cup final, and win 3-2 on aggregate for their fourth Asean crown.
10. SAFUWAN BAHARUDIN
MELBOURNE CITY 3 ADELAIDE UNITED 1, FEB 27, 2015
With a swipe of his right leg at the back post, Safuwan became the first Singaporean to score in the A-League while on loan from LionsXII.
A spinal injury restricted him to just six games before he was cut, but he still bagged two goals and a man-of-the-match award in that time as he helped City achieve their then best finish of fifth.
11. IKHSAN FANDI
SKEID 2 RAUFOSS 3, MAY 12, 2019
On as a 75th-minute substitute, Ikhsan was ready to make his mark in Europe. He netted an 89th-minute overhead kick, sending the ball into the bottom corner for a dramatic winner. That was the 20-year-old's first competitive goal in Europe, and he went on to score six goals in 28 appearances for second-tier Raufoss, attracting interest from Norwegian top-division sides.
TOMORROW: Sports families
