11 saves against Thailand gave China a pass to the next round…. The Chinese showered the Singapore goalkeeper with money

Mark
Written By Mark

Veteran Singapore national team goalkeeper Hassan Sani revealed that supporters of the Chinese national football team sent him money to thank him for his unexpected role in keeping their dreams of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup alive.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper became an overnight hero in the country with a population of 1.4 billion people, after his saves during the Singapore-Thailand match helped China qualify for the next round of World Cup qualifiers.
China’s hopes of reaching the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup were hanging by a thread after its 0-1 loss to South Korea in Seoul on Tuesday. On the other hand, Thailand needed to beat Singapore by three goals in Bangkok to surpass China and claim second place in Group C, which meant eliminating China’s hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup finals scheduled for the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Thailand beat Singapore but only 3-1, thanks to Sane making 11 dangerous saves in a match in which he was named best player.
Sani revealed to CNA in Singapore that supporters of the Chinese national team used his restaurant’s Alipay account to transfer money to him after images of the QR code (square) for payment were circulated online.
Sani expressed his surprise at what was happening to him, but wondered whether sending money for his performance was considered legal.
“I enjoyed it for a while. I felt like the money was coming to me,” CNA quoted him as saying, without revealing the amount he received.
He continued, “But I started thinking, when will this stop? Is it legal?”
Sane began urging Chinese fans to stop transferring money to him, saying, “I think we have to stop somewhere.”
Chinese citizens and tourists in Singapore began visiting Sunny Restaurant, located in the eastern suburbs of the city, to thank him, and the restaurant even ran out of food on Thursday due to strong demand, according to local reports.
Sane said his phone was also full of messages and emails since the final whistle on Tuesday evening.
He concluded, “It is clear that my family was a little shocked by all these messages, especially my daughters. They wonder why we see your face everywhere?”