Hassan Sunny

Hassan Sunny

Hassan Sunny playing for Army United in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Hassan bin Abdullah Sunny [1]
Date of birth	(1984-04-02) 2 April 1984 (age 41)
Place of birth	Singapore
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) [2]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Albirex Niigata (S)
Number	18
Youth career
2000–2002	National Football Academy
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003	Geylang United	31	(0)
2004–2005	Young Lions	43	(0)
2006–2007	Geylang United	52	(0)
2008–2011	Tampines Rovers	104	(0)
2012–2014	Warriors	53	(0)
2015–2016	Army United	54	(0)
2017	Home United	19	(0)
2018–2019	Army United	54	(0)
2020–2022	Lion City Sailors	51	(0)
2023–	Albirex Niigata (S)	49	(0)
International career
2004–2024	Singapore	115	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing   Singapore Sea Games Nakhon Ratchasima 2007 Football Asean Football Championship Winner Tiger Cup 2004 2004 Winner AFF Championship 2007 2007
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16 August 2025 20:28

Hassan Abdullah Sunny (born on 2 April 1984), commonly known as Hassan Sunny, is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Singapore Premier League club Albirex Niigata (S).

As of 2025, Hassan Sunny is the first and only player in the history of the Singapore Premier League to have won four league titles with four different clubs. He achieved this feat with Tampines Rovers in 2011, Warriors FC in 2014, Lion City Sailors in 2021, and Albirex Niigata (S) in 2023. ^[3]

Club career

Geylang United

In 2003, Sunny joined Geylang United from the National Football Academy. He was nominated for S-League Young Player of the Year. ^[4]

Young Lions

In 2004, Sunny joined the newly-formed Young Lions Football Club. Sunny joined alongside Baihakki Khaizan, Shahril Ishak and Khairul Amri, a group known as the "NFA Gang of Four" for playing together since their early teens. ^[5]

Geylang United

After completing the National Service in Singapore, Sunny returned to Geylang United in 2006.

Tampines Rovers

In January 2008, Sunny joined Tampines Rovers, rivals of Geylang United. He made his debut on 1 March in a 1–1 draw against Balestier Khalsa. In March 2011, he marked his 100th appearance for the club, the same year in which Tampines Rovers secured both the S.League and the Singapore Community Shield titles.

Singapore Armed Forces (Warriors)

In December 2011, Sunny joined the Singapore Armed Forces FC. Sunny later played in the AFC Cup against Indonesian the club Semen Padang in a 3–1 defeat on 5 March 2013. He registered his first clean sheet in the competition in a 1–0 victory over Indian club Churchill Brothers on 10 April 2013. He participated in the 2014 S.League season when the Warriors FC won the league title. ^[6] He went on to became the first goalkeeper to win the S.League 'Player of the Year' award in 2014. ^[7]

Army United

Sunny joined Army United for the 2015 Thai Premier League season, making his debut in a 1–0 win over Royal Thai Navy. ^[8] In November 2015, he signed a new two-year contract with the club Army United ^[9] The Daily Telegraph ranked him 18th in its list of the top 20 goalkeepers worldwide in 2016. Following Army United’s relegation from Thai League 1 in December 2016, he was released, bringing his two-year tenure with the club to a close. ^[10]

Home United

Following his release from the Thai League side, Sunny signed for S.League side Home United on 6 January 2017. He was named club captain for the 2017 season. ^[6]

Gainare Tottori trials

On 10 February 2017, Sunny joined Japanese third-tier (J3) club Gainare Tottori. He played for Gainare in two friendly matches. ^[11]

Return to Army United

After the end of the 2017 S.League season, Sunny re-signed for Army United in December 2017 and played for them during the 2018 Thai League 2 season. He made his return to the club in the club's season opener against Nongbua Pitchaya on 10 February 2018, facing off against another Singaporean goalkeeper, Izwan Mahbud, who was also making his debut. ^[12] On 30 June 2019, Sunny made his 100th appearance for the club in a 2–1 win over Kasetsart. ^[13]

Lion City Sailors

After 2 seasons with Army United, Hassan penned a 2-year deal with Lion City Sailors in January 2020. In his first season, he kept 5 clean sheets in 11 matches before the league was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hassan went on to win the 2021 Singapore Premier League title with the club. ^[14]

On 19 February 2022, Sunny helped the Sailors win the 2022 Singapore Community Shield. ^[15] During the club's 2022 AFC Champions League group stage campaign, he kept 3 clean sheets in 6 matches. Sunny made his AFC Champions League debut on 15 April 2022 against J1 League club Urawa Red Diamonds. He left the club at the end of the season.

Albirex Niigata Singapore

On 16 December 2022, Albirex Niigata (S) announced it had signed Hassan on a 2-year contract until 2024, his sixth club in the Singapore Premier League. ^[16] On 8 June 2023, Sunny signed a 1-year contract extension until the end of the 2024–25 season. ^[17] In his first season at the club, he won the 2023 Singapore Premier League title, becoming the first and only player in the league's history to win the league titles with 4 different clubs - also winning the league Golden Gloves with 9 clean sheets.

International career

Youth

Sunny kept goal for the Singapore U23 team that participated in the 2003 SEA Games in Vietnam. Hassan's first appearance for Singapore came in August 2003 during a friendly match against the Japanese Olympic team. Hassan was part of the Singapore U23 squad at the 2007 SEA Games, which won the team a bronze medal.

Senior

Hassan had to wait until 18 February 2004 for his first cap for the Singapore national team, which came against India in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. ^[18] In January 2010, Hassan was selected to participate in the 2010 King's Cup, where he played in all three matches against Thailand, Denmark and Poland. On 9 August 2014, Hassan captained Singapore on the country's independence day in a goalless draw against Hong Kong. On 14 October, he captained Singapore to a 2–2 draw against Macau. On 13 June 2016, Hassan was chosen as the starting goalkeeper against two-time FIFA World Cup winners Argentina in a friendly match where he conceded two goals before being subbed out for Izwan Mahbud in the 50th minute. ^[19] Hassan won his 75th cap for the Lions in early September 2018 against Mauritius. ^[20] On the 18th of August 2024, Hassan retired from international football after 115 caps over 20 years. ^[21]

Media headlines in Indonesia and Singapore for his performances

Hassan was selected for the 2020 AFF Championship that took place in December 2021, featuring in all of Singapore's games and making 20 saves throughout the entire tournament. On 25 December 2021, Hassan made 11 saves for the Lions against Indonesia but got sent off in the 118th minute of extra time after a last-man tackle on Irfan Jaya. The Lions lost 4–2 in the end. He was later voted into the "Team of the Tournament" for his performance in the entire tournament.

On 24 September 2022, 18 years on from that World Cup qualifier against India in Goa in his international debut, he earned his 100th cap against the same opponents in the 2022 VFF Tri-Nations Series. ^[22]

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against China at the Singapore National Stadium, Singapore was down by two goals when they conceded a penalty. Hassan made a penalty save, denying Wu Lei from scoring. The game later ended in a 2-2 draw.

Media headlines in China

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Thailand, where the opponents were one goal short of qualifying for the next round, Hassan performed 11 saves. ^[23] Although Singapore ultimately lost to Thailand 3–1, the result meant that Thailand did not progress to the next round, and China, the next runner-up in the group, qualified instead. ^[24]

Hassan's performance during the match impressed many Chinese viewers and received significant publicity on Chinese social media platforms. Many Chinese football fans complimented his saves and showed their appreciation and support by patronizing his nasi padang stalls and sending him money via the QR code displayed for payment at his stalls. ^{[25] [26] [27]} He was also mobbed by fans during a family trip to Shanghai following the game. ^[28]

Retirement

On 18 August 2024, Hassan announced his retirement from the national team via an Instagram post. ^[29] Hassan continued to play for Albirex Niigata in the Singapore Premier League. ^[18]

Others

Singapore Selection squad

Hassan was selected as part of the Singapore Selection squad for the Sultan of Selangor's Cup held on 6 May 2017. ^[30]

Sponsorship and media

Hassan has a sponsorship deal with sportswear and equipment supplier Puma.

"I am happy to receive such recognition, but I was simply doing my job [at the game between Singapore and Thailand]. In terms of results, the game was not something to be proud of. However, for me, it feels great to receive such recognition from another country."

– Hassan being grateful for the support he received from Chinese football fans ^[31]

Following Hassan's performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, allowing China's national football team to qualify for the next round of the qualifiers, Hassan went viral on numerous Chinese social media platforms, with his Nasi Padang stall being visited by numerous Chinese fans and tourists in a show of support. Numerous monetary donations were also made to the stall by Chinese fans. ^{[32] [33] [34] [35]} Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam also praised Hassan for his performance and recognition on social media.

Following a scam attempt involving the QR code at his Nasi Padang stall, in a social media post, Hassan asked his fans to stop sending money via that QR code. ^[36] Hassan said he would be donating the money already sent to charity, as it did not belong to him; he stated that he was "doing his part for the community". ^{[37] [38]}

In June 2024, Hassan flew to Shanghai at the invitation of real estate firm CapitaLand, where he and his family were mobbed by Chinese football fans. Hassan made unscheduled appearances at three CapitaLand malls in Shanghai and also visited the children's football club HiKicker Youth FC. ^[39]

Personal life

According to an interview, Hassan started playing football competitively when he was 11, captaining his school, May Primary School. ^[40] He later went on to represent the Braddell Secondary School football team. ^[40] Hassan started playing football as a midfielder, only switching to playing as a goalkeeper due to an asthma attack he suffered when he was 12. ^[40] He also quipped that his happiest football memory was that, back in 1999, he scored the winning goal from the halfway line in a game that ended 2–1. ^{[40] [41]}

Hassan has stated that his favorite goalkeepers are Manuel Neuer and Joe Hart. ^[42]

Hassan owns two Nasi Padang stalls, both named Dapur Hassan, in Tampines, Singapore; he opened his first stall with his family in October 2021. ^[43] On 22 August 2023, he opened his second stall at Tampines. ^[44]

In July 2024, after Chinese football fans donated funds to his stall in appreciation for his performance against Thailand, he donated $10,000 to the Muhammadiyah Welfare Home, a children’s shelter in Singapore, helping fund its 2024 CharityFest.  ^[45]

In February 2025, he launched his own minimalist apparel line, Has & Co., debuting the brand at the FOMO Weekend Market in Singapore. ^[46]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played on 16 June 2024

Club	Season	S.League		Singapore Cup		Singapore Community Shield		Asia		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Geylang International	2003	31	0	-	-	-	-	—		31	0
	Total	31	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	31	0
Young Lions	2004	??	0	-	-	-	-	—		??	0
	2005	??	0	-	-	-	-	—		??	0
	Total	43	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	43	0
Geylang United	2006	29	0	1	-	-	-	—		30	0
	2007	23	0	-	-	-	-	—		23	0
	Total	52	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	53	0
Tampines Rovers	2008	18	0	5	-	-	-	-	-	23	0
	2009	31	0	-	-	-	-	—		31	0
	2010	30	0	6	0	-	-	—		36	0
	2011	13	0	0	0	-	-	7	0	20	0
	Total	92	0	11	0	0	0	7	0	110	0
Warriors	2012	4	0	0	0	-	-	—		4	0
	2013	24	0	1	0	1	0	6	0	32	0
	2014	25	0	1	0	-	-	—		26	0
	Total	53	0	2	0	1	0	6	0	61	0
Club	Season	Thai League T1		Thai FA Cup		Thai League Cup		Asia		Total
Army United	2015	26	0	-	-	-	-	—		26	0
	2016	28	0	-	-	-	-	—		28	0
	Total	54	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	54	0
Club	Season	S.League		Singapore Cup		Singapore League Cup		Asia		Total
Home United	2017	19	0	4	0	2	0	9	0	34	0
	Total	19	0	4	0	2	0	9	0	34	0
Club	Season	Thai League T2		Thai FA Cup		Thai League Cup		Asia		Total
Army United	2018	0	0	1	-	-	-	—		1	0
	2019	26	0	-	-	-	-	—		26	0
	Total	26	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	27	0
Club	Season	S.League		Singapore Cup		Community Shield		Asia		Total
Lion City Sailors	2020	11	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	11	0
	2021	20	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	20	0
	2022	20	0	0	0	1	0	6	0	27	0
	Total	51	0	0	0	1	0	6	0	58	0
Albirex Niigata (S)	2023	19	0	4	0	1	0	0	0	24	0
	2024–25	30	0	3	0	1	0	0	0	34	0
	Total	49	0	7	0	2	0	0	0	58	0
Career Total		450	0	23	0	6	0	28	0	506	0

• Young Lions are ineligible for qualification to AFC competitions in their respective leagues.

Honours

Club

Tampines Rovers

• S.League: 2011
• Singapore Community Shield: 2011

Warriors

• S.League: 2014
• Singapore Cup: 2012

Lion City Sailors

• Singapore Premier League: 2021
• Singapore Community Shield: 2022

Albirex Niigata (S)

• Singapore Premier League: 2023
• Singapore Community Shield: 2023

International

• AFF Championship: 2004, 2007
• Southeast Asian Games Bronze Medal: 2007

Individual

• S.League Golden Gloves: 2009
• Singapore Premier League Golden Gloves: 2023
• S.League Player of the Year: 2014 ^[7]
• 2020 AFF Championship: Team of the Tournament ^[47]

See also

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
• Football in Singapore

References

1. "Announcement of squad for AFF Suzuki Cup 2014". Football Association of Singapore. 22 November 2014. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
2. "ハッサン サニー". Albirex Niigata Singapore Official website | アルビレックス新潟シンガポール オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
3. "Hassan Sunny: A Legend Bids Farewell to International Football - Football Association of Singapore". www.fas.org.sg. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
4. "Hassan Sunny Stats, Goals, Records, Assists, Cups and more". FBref.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
5. "Interview With Baihakki Khaizan". FAS. Archived from the original on 3 September 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
6. "Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny comes Home". TODAYonline. Archived from the original on 10 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
7. "Awards night signals end of 2014 S.League season". S.League. 7 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
8. Paul Murphy (16 February 2015). "Singapore keeper Sunny's Thailand debut quietens the doubters". ESPN FC. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
9. "Hassan extends Army United stay with new two-year deal". Football Channel Asia. 10 November 2015. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
10. Paul Murphy (1 December 2016). "Singapore's Hassan Sunny released by Thailand club Army United FC". ESPN FC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
11. "Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny relishes unexpected Japan opportunity". TODAY. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
12. "Singapore footballers make their debuts in Thai league". The New Paper. 12 February 2018. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
13. "Hassan Sunny reaches 100 matches for Army United | Goal.com Singapore". www.goal.com. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
14. Osman, Shamir (12 October 2021). "Dust settled and confetti cleared, but Sailors' hearts still brimming". Lion City Sailors FC. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
15. "Sailors notch second Community Shield title against Albirex in a repeat of 2022 league curtain raiser - Football Association of Singapore". spl.sg. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
16. "Hassan Sunny is coming to Albirex Niigata FC Singapore!". Albirex Niigata Singapore Official website (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 August 2025.
17. "2 more seasons with Hassan Sunny!". Albirex Niigata Singapore Official website (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 August 2025.
18. "Hassan Sunny: A Legend Bids Farewell to International Football - Football Association of Singapore". www.fas.org.sg. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
19. "International Match (Sky Sports)". Sky Sports. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
20. "75-cap Hassan Sunny ready for Singapore No.1 battle with Izwan Mahbud". FourFourTwo. 9 September 2018. Archived from the original on 10 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
21. "Heroic Singapore goalkeeper Hassan announces international retirement". ESPN.com. 18 August 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
22. "Football: Hassan Sunny set to earn 100th cap in match against India". The Straits Times. 23 September 2022. ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 10 August 2025.
23. "Post-Match Report: FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifier – Thailand vs. Singapore (11th June 2024) - Football Association of Singapore" . Retrieved 10 August 2025.
24. "Thailand's World Cup dream ends despite beating Singapore 3-1". CNA. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
25. "S'pore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny celebrated by Chinese fans after match against Thailand". TODAY. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
26. Dhar, Sudeshna (12 June 2024). "S'porean GK Hassan Sunny's stall receives donations from Chinese fans after he pulls off vital saves against Thailand". Must Share News - Independent News For Singaporeans. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
27. "China social media lauds Singapore's Thai heroics; holiday searches to island soar". South China Morning Post. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
28. Tan, Dawn Wei (17 June 2024). "Hailed as a hero by Chinese football fans, Lions goalkeeper Hassan Sunny gets star treatment in Shanghai". The Straits Times. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
29. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
30. "SINGAPORE SELECTION SQUAD FOR THE SULTAN OF SELANGOR'S CUP REVEALED – The Football Association of Singapore". fas.org.sg. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
31. Li, Winnie (16 June 2024). "S'pore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny to donate money transferred by Chinese football fans" . Retrieved 17 June 2024.
32. Li, Winnie. "Chinese football fans transfer money to S'pore keeper Hassan Sunny's nasi padang stall for 'helping' China advance in World Cup". mothership.sg. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
33. Oh, Maximilian (12 June 2024). "Hassan Sunny's nasi padang stall in Tampines draws China fans after his heroics against Thailand". The Straits Times. ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 12 June 2024.
34. Wong, Bryan. "S'pore Goalkeeper Hassan Sunny Celebrated By Chinese Fans After Match Against Thailand, His Nasi Padang Stall Gets Over 70 5-Star Reviews From Them In The Past 12 Hours". 8days. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
35. "Hassan Sunny: Singapore goalkeeper says China fans have sent him money after his 11 saves against Thailand". BBC Sport. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
36. Associated Press (14 June 2024). Chinese fans show overwhelming support for Hassan Sunny's food business . Retrieved 17 June 2024– via YouTube.
37. Rawat, Bhavya (14 June 2024). "Lions goalie Hassan Sunny asks Chinese fans to stop sending him money, dispels rumours he received $5.8 million". AsiaOne. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
38. Tan, Dawn Wei (17 June 2024). "Hailed as a hero by Chinese football fans, Lions goalkeeper Hassan Sunny gets star treatment in Shanghai". The Straits Times. ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 17 June 2024.
39. Tan, Dawn Wei (17 June 2024). "Hailed as a hero by Chinese football fans, Lions goalkeeper Hassan Sunny gets star treatment in Shanghai". The Straits Times. ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 23 July 2024.
40. ""At first, i didn't like football..."". Archived from the original on 27 May 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
41. "Hassan named S.League Player of the Year". ESPN.com. 9 November 2014.
42. "Singapore's Hassan Sunny named one of world's top 20 goalkeepers". TODAY. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
43. "Dalam sebulan Madhu hasilkan cermin mata hitam mesra alam" [In a month, Madhu produces eco-friendly sunglasses]. BeritaHarian.sg (in Malay). 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
44. "New in town: Dapur Hassan — Singapore national football team's goalkeeper opens 2nd stall selling nasi lemak & mee soto". sg.style.yahoo.com. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
45. "Hassan Sunny donates S$10,000 he got from grateful Chinese football fans to S'pore children's home".
46. "Hassan Sunny launches own clothing brand".
47. "ESPN's AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 Team of the Tournament". ESPN.com. 2 January 2022. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.

External links

• Hassan Sunny at Soccerway
• Hassan Sunny at National-Football-Teams.com
• Player profile – doha-2006.com
• Hassan Sunny on Instagram