Starbucks managers and Grab riders: First local futsal team to play in foreign league made up of players juggling day jobs

Come August, semi-pro futsal team Kampung Buangkok will make history as the first Singapore team to play in a foreign league.

The team, which will take part in the upcoming Brunei Futsal League 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 hail from Johor Bahru. They coached the Pahang Rangers, who were the first foreign team to clinch a win at the Brunei Futsal League during its debut in 2017.

Kampung Buangkok’s participation in the league is estimated to cost around S$90K. The entire season will run till Feb 2025. The team is completely self-funded, and the players and coaches have been pitching in to cover the costs, which include travel expenses to Brunei.

The team is made up of players with different day jobs, including a firefighter, a pest control technician, a police officer, a Starbucks store manager, and a Grab rider.

They have come together with the same goals — to finish in the top three in the league, display the potential of futsal in Singapore, and inspire other Singaporeans to play the sport.

In an interview with football media Junpiter Futbol last year, the team’s 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 huge step for Singapore futsal."

Here’s wishing Kampung Buangkok the best for their overseas debut!

Kampung Buangkok players, Starbucks barista Logan Rajah (left), and firefighter Muhd Nurul Islam (right)