Sports Minutes with Zia-ul Raushan

Sports Minutes: Is it fair to compare Cape Verde to Singapore?; Anderson Lopes leaves a bad taste after leaving the Lion City Sailors

Cape Verde's fairytale run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has got people comparing the African minnows with Singapore. But is it truly a like for like comparison? Plus, Anderson Lopes' bombshell statement upon sealing his departure from the Lion City Sailors has got fans of the local game up in arms! Did he need to say what he said? Deepanraj Ganesan, correspondent with The Straits Times, weighs in on Sports Minutes. READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/can-singapore-replicate-cape-verdes-world-cup-success [https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/can-singapore-replicate-cape-verdes-world-cup-success] Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg [raushan@sph.com.sg] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Sports Minutes: Ayman Kassimi on how Ilhan Fandi 'convinced' him to join Singapore's Hougang United

The Singapore Premier League transfer window is heating up, and Hougang United have made one of its eye-catching moves by signing Belgian winger Ayman Kassimi. The 25-year-old joins Sports Minutes to discuss his journey from Belgium to Singapore, his humble beginnings, his time in European football alongside Ilhan Fandi, and why he believes the SPL is the perfect next chapter. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg [raushan@sph.com.sg] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Sports Minutes: Saifullah Akbar & Nazhiim Harman on their contrasting careers, quasi-famous fathers and OBFC

They were born in the same year, but their football journeys have taken very different turns. Saifullah Akbar and Nazhim Harman - both part of the class of '99 at the Singapore Sports School - sit down with Sports Minutes to talk about career crossroads, family legacies and finding purpose through a project that somehow made it out of the group chat! Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg [raushan@sph.com.sg] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Sports Minutes: Tanjong Pagar's new chairman Rajesh Nair on his aims, ambitions and the use of AI

Out with the old and in with the new. It’s all change over at Tanjong Pagar United. Rajesh Nair, a technopreneur with a reputation for resurrecting struggling organisations, officially takes charge as a the club chairman on 1 July 2026. To go with that, there's a new leadership team, new signings and a new logo that’s divided opinion on social media. So what does the future hold? Tune in to find out! READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/tanjong-pagar-united-set-for-a-new-era-with-change-in-chairman-and-club-management [https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/tanjong-pagar-united-set-for-a-new-era-with-change-in-chairman-and-club-management] Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg [raushan@sph.com.sg] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Sports Minutes: One family, two national athletes. But varying levels of support. Why so?

Both have represented Singapore. Both have made sacrifices. Yet their sporting experiences couldn't be more different. Siblings Sara and Jeffery Lightfoot join us to discuss national pride, funding disparities, athlete welfare and the challenges of pursuing sporting excellence in Singapore. When some sports enjoy greater resources than others, what does "equal footing" really mean? Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg [raushan@sph.com.sg]   See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.