So This Is What a Sold-Out Football Match Feels Like - A Young Team Nila Volunteer’s Perspective

A 700-strong team of Team Nila volunteers gathered to cheer on the Lions during their FIFA qualifiers match against Korea last night. Among them was 16-year-old Xander Tay, attending a 49,000-strong football match for the first time as a Team Nila volunteer.

Here's his story.

By Xander Tay

I was lucky enough to attend the FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Singapore and Korea as a Team Nila volunteer through the Singapore Scout Association. My scout friend saw the call and, being an avid football fan, he excitedly asked me to go to the match with him, recounting past football matches in the National Stadium and how exhilarating our football matches there could be.

Photo: Team Nila Content Producer | Ken Chia

On match day, I assembled with the rest of the Team Nila volunteers, and we were taught a collection of cheers and songs to familiarise ourselves with Singapore football fan rituals and traditions and be able to hype up the crowd throughout the match. The room was filled with enthusiasm and excitement as we sang and cheered with glee.

Photo: Xander Tay

When it was time to enter the stadium proper, fans flocked all around us to the National Stadium by the thousands, forming a vast ocean of red. The atmosphere was joyful and exciting as supporters enjoyed the various activities organised just outside Kallang Wave Mall. Even small children were beaming from ear to ear as they donned colourful face paint and jerseys.

Photo: Team Nila Content Producer | Tay Zihang

At around 7 pm, the gates opened and the huge crowd began flowing towards the entrance of the stadium at a steady pace. Even from outside the stadium, the atmosphere was fiery. The sound of drums booming and enthusiastic chanting was heard all throughout the area, accompanied by the triumphant rumble of the ground from supporters jumping and stomping. The atmosphere only intensified in the stadium as the Kallang Wave ripped through the spectating crowd ferociously. Just when we thought the stadium atmosphere couldn’t get more intense, roaring cheers erupted from every corner of the stadium as the opposing teams streamed onto the pitch and began their pre-match routines.

Photo: Team Nila Content Producer | Anbumani Arivalagan

The stadium crowd calmed slightly for the first half of the match, with chanting centralised to a few groups of spectators peppered across the stands, while others just looked on. As we progressed into the second half, though, the crowd electrified again and began to join in to sing and cheer, with those leading the charge motivating others around them to join in, eventually spreading through the whole stadium with enthusiasm and force, displaying the spectators’ amazing camaraderie as they matched each other's energy in cheering for their team. The chants and songs really breathed life and energy into the venue that surprised me, and I also experienced how the match bonded fans: seeing them linking arms and swaying together as they sang, while drummers filled the air with fun, freestyling beats.

Photo: Team Nila Content Producer | Anbumani Arivalagan

Finally, at the end of the match, the Singaporean side of the stadium (and they were on all sides!) ended the night with a hearty and prideful rendition of “Majulah Singapura,” in support of the visibly grateful Lions on the field who fought hard against their tough opponents. As fans poured out of the stadium, their pride and respect never wavered as chants and songs sliced through the chilly night air, a sign that spectators had a night of fun and excitement together.

🌟 GetActive! Singapore 2024 is finally here,

and Team Nila is looking for passionate volunteers to join us!🌟

Held in the lead up to Singapore's National Day, GetActive! Singapore aims to rally Singaporeans together to celebrate National Day through sport. Volunteer in various roles for up to 40 competitive sport events and challenges! Ignite the Singapore spirit and be part of this exciting celebration. Sign up now at go.gov.sg/tn-gasg24 🙌