'IT'S OVERWHELMING'
As a sea of red flowed into Singapore Sports Hub on Friday evening, Mr Abdul Aleem made his way to his seat behind the Crystal Palace goal.
An ardent football fan, his love affair with the beautiful game began decades ago in the heydays of the Malaysia Cup.
Back then, his family could not afford to buy tickets. Instead, Mr Aleem would scramble up pillars at the old National Stadium to peer at the stars of the Singapore national team.
But his other love has always been Liverpool.
While he has never watched a game in Anfield, he has caught them in action in Singapore on two previous occasions in 2001 and 2009.
When it was announced that they would be visiting once again, there was only one thing left to do – ring up his fellow Liverpool-loving nephew, and snap up tickets.
Mr Aleem soaked in the atmosphere and sang along with his fellow diehard fans, applauding the players as the line-ups are read.
"It’s overwhelming – look at how many red jerseys there are. It’s the next best thing to watching the game at Anfield so you have to take the opportunity," he said.
Mr Aleem's two favourite players Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz started for the Reds.
"I'm just here to enjoy the game, win or lose (it doesn't matter) as long as I get to enjoy," added Mr Aleem, who also brought his 12-year-old son Zachary Iskandar to the game.
Artmotion Asia
