Starbucks Managers and Grab Riders: First local indoor soccer team to play in a foreign league, made up of players juggling day jobs

This August, semi-professional futsal team Kampung Buangkok will make history as the first team from Singapore to play in a foreign competition.

The team, which will participate in the Brunei Futsal League next season, was formed in 2020 by a group of friends who regularly played five-a-side football at Kampung Buangkok.

Their coach, Ahmad Hanif Sarmin, and his coaching staff are from Johor Bahru. They coached the Pahang Rangers, who became the first foreign team to win in the Brunei Futsal League during their debut in 2017.

Kampung Buangkok’s participation in the competition is estimated to cost around S$90,000. The entire season runs until February 2025. The team is fully self-funded and the players and coaches have done their part to cover costs, including travel to Brunei.

The team consists of players with different daily tasks, including a firefighter, a pest control technician, a police officer, a Starbucks store manager and a Grab rider.

They came together with the same goals — to finish in the top three of the competition, showcasing the potential of futsal in Singapore and inspiring other Singaporeans to take up the sport.

In an interview with football media Junpiter Football last year, team goalkeeper and spokesperson Kenneth Kwang said: “This could be a small step for me and my teammates in Kampung Buangkok, but this could be a big step for futsal in Singapore.”

We wish Kampung Buangkok all the best for their foreign debut!