The Silverfox Hustle Podcast

Send us Fan Mail I mark the pod’s 100th by sitting down with Thiruben, Singapore’s 800m national record holder, to trace a path from the football fields and gifted program classrooms to a time of 1:49.94 in perfect cool conditions in Korea.  The episode offers a rare, unvarnished look at how talent, culture and systems intersect. He grew up steeped in sport through his father, flirted seriously wi...

Send us Fan Mail 1 SPL title, 3 Singapore Cups, 1 Coach of the Year & a fine run all the way to the Final of the Asian Champions League 2 - Aleksandar Rankovic has won it all in Singapore club football.  Our conversation starts in the streets of Belgrade as Aleks shares his childhood and how the love of the game took him from his hometown to the Eredivisie in Holland. He shares some special mo...

Send us Fan Mail What if the path you’re on was poured for you long before you could choose? Lalita Rajah grew up in a family where law was more lineage than option, excelled at the academics, and built a steady career in corporate litigation and trademarks. The work was demanding but not ruthless, the colleagues became friends, and the respect was real. Yet beneath the competence was a quiet abse...

Send us Fan Mail Fresh off a historic treble-winning campaign, Lion City Sailors head coach Aleksandar Rankovic joins us for the SPL Preview. Reflecting on last season's remarkable success, Rankovic surprisingly describes their SPL title, Singapore Cup triumph, and ACL2 final appearance as "unexpected" - a refreshing dose of humility from the leader of the league's wealthiest c...

Send us Fan Mail How do you replace a striker who scored 44 goals and broke multiple league records? That's the challenge facing Geylang International head coach Noor Ali as he enters his tenth season with the Eagles. Following an impressive third-place finish last campaign, Geylang must now navigate life without Tomoyuki Doi, the Japanese sensation who netted an astonishing 44 goals includin...

Send us Fan Mail When Firdaus Kassim left his comfortable position at Lion City Sailors to take charge of Young Lions, he knew exactly what he was stepping into. "I wouldn't call it a risk," he reveals in this fascinating conversation about his vision for Singapore's development squad. "We had long conversations to ensure clarity about the project and direction." That...

Send us Fan Mail Coach Noh Alam Shah transforms adversity into opportunity as he rebuilds Tanjong Pagar United following a challenging season. Fresh from his Pro Diploma coaching course in Laos, Alam Shah brings renewed wisdom and determination to a club that finished ninth last season with just three wins while conceding a staggering 103 goals. Rather than running from this difficult past, Alam S...

Send us Fan Mail Fresh off a challenging season that saw them finish outside the top three for the first time in five years, Albirex Niigata is rebuilding with purpose. Assistant coach Jaswinder Singh joins us to reveal how the club plans to reclaim its position among Singapore's football elite. Jas offers a candid assessment of last season's struggles, explaining how an extended four-mo...

Send us Fan Mail The homecoming of Marko Kraljevic to Balestier Khalsa FC sets the stage for an enthralling new chapter in Singapore Premier League football. After seven years at the helm between 2014-2020 and a subsequent stint at Hougang United, the Croatian tactician returns to the club where his Singapore football journey began as both player and coach. Taking the reins from Peter De Roo, who...

Send us Fan Mail Robert Eziakor, head coach of Hougang United FC, pulls back the curtain on his journey from player to coach and the ambitious plans he's implementing for the upcoming Singapore Premier League season. Eziakor's fascinating story begins in 2006 when he arrived in Singapore as a player for Sporting Afrique, eventually finding his way to H0ugang United where he's been s...

Send us Fan Mail BG Tampines Rovers FC is under new yet familiar leadership as Akbar Nawas returns to BG Tampines after nearly a decade away. His mission? Build upon the excellent foundation laid by Gavin Lee while steering the Stags through a period of significant transition. Akbar speaks candidly about the challenges of rebuilding a squad that's lost key players Kyoga Nakamura, Seia Kunori...

Send us Fan Mail Lee Young-Pyo , one of Korea's greatest ever players with 127 international caps and three World Cup appearances, sits down with me for a chat. Lee takes us behind the scenes of Korea's miraculous 2002 World Cup campaign, where they reached the semi-finals against all odds. "We trained together for 200 days," he reveals, explaining how Guus Hiddink's leade...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take for a 15-year-old Singaporean footballer to leave everything behind and chase his dreams in Portugal? Krishav Ram opens up about his journey from local academies to signing with Portuguese club Boavista FC. The young central midfielder shares how his football journey began at age five with JSSL before progressing through LFA (now LCS Academy), where coaches recog...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Toni Datkovic , the defensive powerhouse who hails from a  Croatian island to becoming Lion City Sailors' rock-solid center back. Tony unveils the heart behind the tackles, sharing stories from his childhood on the island of Pag where his football dreams first took shape. Toni provides a fascinating glimpse into what makes Croatian footballers so exceptional on the world...

Send us Fan Mail Kadir Yahaya returns to Singapore as Director of Football with the Unleash the Roar project after his stint at BG Pathum in Thailand, bringing decades of coaching experience and a passion for youth development to revitalize local football. This is an honest coversation where we spoke about: • Discipline - it must come from a player's internal psyche • The state-of-the-art Kal...

Send us Fan Mail Farhanah Ruhaizat , Player of the Year nominee in the Women's Premier League and captain of Geylang International FC, shares her football journey from childhood to international representation. She discusses breaking records, overcoming challenges and her vision for women's football in Singapore. Some highlights: • Started playing football at 14 after making a deal with...

Send us Fan Mail Every coach has a story, but few shine as brightly as that of Ratna Suffian , the newly minted WPL Coach of the Year, who joins us in this episode for an inspiring conversation. We dive into his journey from curry puff seller to award-winning coach. We highlight the importance of emotional intelligence in coaching women and the need for better support structures in their football...

Send us Fan Mail In the first of a series of episodes with IFT Asia, we explore the transformative impact of individual training in football, emphasised by Igor Coelho , the Technical Director of I FT Asia. Key discussions highlight the need for hunger in players, the importance of quality coaching and how tailored training can elevate players' confidence and skills on the field.  • Focus on...

Send us Fan Mail Hilderinc Football Club's story embodies the spirit of grassroots football, illustrating how a simple idea blossomed into a thriving community-focused club. Ian Morris discusses the importance of inclusivity, the challenges of running a club without financial backing, and the club's journey over 25 years, emphasising growth through commitment to training and community va...

Send us Fan Mail Get ready to be inspired as we welcome Irfan Najeeb from BG Tampines, fresh off his exhilarating experience in the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup. Irfan opens up about his journey through the tournament, embracing the challenge of a new team dynamic and possession-based strategy. Learn how he mentally prepared himself to face tough competitors like Vietnam and Malaysia, and how his t...

Send us Fan Mail I sit down for a chat with Hasney Aljofree, the Head of Coach Education at the Football Association of Singapore. This episode explores how Hasney's background and experience in the UK, has shaped his approach to coaching and player development. One of the key themes discussed is the importance of cultivating a lifelong love for football among young players. Hasney sheds ligh...

Send us Fan Mail Tasek Academy Social Services is an agency that provides free programmes for children, youths and their families. Their vision is to uplift these individuals and families through their unique mentoring and holistic development approach. I speak to Lead Manager, Sufri Ramli and Head Coach of the Tasek Sailors team, Aidil Sulaiman in this episode and delve deeper into the organizati...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I chat with Herman Zailani , the Head of Coach Education for the Lao Football Federation . He is a friend, a football coach & Coach Developer who has made a name for himself, carving out a path for himself in a foreign land and doing a bloody great job at it as well! Herman reflects on his career path, which began with a deep passion for football from a young...

Send us Fan Mail Tariq Cassim , co-founder and CEO of Koach Hub joins me as he introduces the platform that could and have been a life saver for football academies, coaches, parents, clubs and federations. Tariq takes us on a journey from his beginnings as a football dad to creating a groundbreaking platform that fills the crucial gaps in player data for youth football. We dive into the persistent...

Send us Fan Mail Tune in as I sit with Tsutomu Ogura , the Singapore National Football Head Coach. Ogura is game as he answers questions on why he took up the Singapore job, pressure & expectations, player selection, the challenge of assembling the best players for the coming ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup etc. In the short time with Ogura, its clear that there is a willingness to share his kno...