PHU THO, Dec 30 — In a sea of 15,000 fervent Vietnamese fans at Viet Tri Stadium, one Lion stood proudly, waving his scarf like it was Excalibur.
Meet Ong Wee Hern, 28, Singapore’s one-man cheering squad, who proved that while the Lions may have lost 1-3 (and 1-5 on aggregate), his spirit remained undefeated.
With temperatures hovering at a brisk 17°C, Ong didn’t just battle the odds on the pitch — he also fought the cold with layers of pride and probably a good thermos of kopi.
“I am very proud of the way the Lions played,” he told Channel News Asia (CNA) post-match, exuding optimism usually reserved for lottery winners.
“Even when we were playing in conditions like 17-18°C, I saw the Lions put up a fight. We could even score a goal against Vietnam, who is very strong.”
Ong’s journey to Phu Tho was the footballing equivalent of an Amazing Race challenge.
Starting in Singapore, he hopped over to Kuala Lumpur, made a pit stop in Hanoi, and finally arrived at Phu Tho, ready to take on 15,000 sets of vocal cords.
“I knew we had a two-nil deficit, but I wondered if there was any ‘Miracle of Viet Tri,’” he was quoted as saying before the match, hopeful like a fan betting on a 90th-minute screamer.
“I’m happy that I’m here, although it feels a bit awkward.”
Awkward is an understatement when you’re a solo cheerleader surrounded by a stadium of chanting, drum-banging locals.
But this isn’t Ong’s first away game.
From braving South Korea during a World Cup qualifier to celebrating at Bukit Jalil when Singapore advanced to the semis, he’s practically the Lions’ unofficial road warrior.
“It just made me feel super excited,” he recalled of that Bukit Jalil moment. And who can blame him?
Despite being outnumbered by, well, everyone, Ong wasn’t completely alone.
Enter Camilla Ross, a Singaporean student studying in Vietnam, who spotted Ong’s spirited selfies on Facebook and decided to join the away section.
“I was sitting there with my (Vietnamese) friends, and I saw him on Facebook,” Ross explained. “I was like, ‘I need to find this spot.’”
The duo became an island of red-and-white solidarity amidst a tsunami of Vietnamese flags.
“I was the only one in the middle of Vietnamese people cheering for the Lions,” she added.
“Now, I feel at home.”
As the final whistle blew, Ong reflected on the Lions’ journey with pride.
“Nobody expected us to go to the semi-finals, and yet we are in the semi-finals. Throughout the campaign, there is nothing for us to be ashamed of,” he was quoted as saying.
For Ong, it wasn’t just about the scoreboard. It was about the camaraderie, the memories, and proving that even one Lion can roar just as loud as 15,000 fans — especially when armed with passion, persistence, and a penchant for miracles.
