EP 4: Ridhuan Muhamad Talks Career Highlights, Corruption in the Game, and The Local Football Scene.

In this episode of The Sportswire Podcast, we sat down with former professional footballer Ridhuan Muhamad as he reflects on his remarkable journey from playing for Arema Malang in Indonesia to carving his path in Singapore football. Ridhuan opens up about his unforgettable moments on the pitch and shares his candid thoughts on corruption in football. He also provided an insider’s perspective on the current state of the local football scene, what needs to change, and his hopes for the future of the game in Singapore. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 00:00 Episode highlights 00:39 Introduction of episode 01:42 Ridhuan Muhamad’s childhood 07:50 Ridhuan Muhamad’s sacrifices to pursue his dream of football 12:28 Does favouritism and under table corruption exist in Singapore football? 14:15 Playing alongside Rafi Ali and Nazri Nasir 16:06 How did Ridhuan Muhamad maintain his humility 19:10 National Team then VS National Team now 20:50 Ridhuan Muhamad’s routine to prepare for big matches 21:49 Ridhuan Muhamad’s time with Arema Malang 26:20 How Ridhuan Muhamad handled his day to day life 27:30 How was Noh Alam Shah as a player 29:15 Has Ridhuan Muhamad considered playing in the Europe 30:23 Fiercest rivalry game Ridhuan Muhamad played 32:50 Ridhuan Muhamad loves big crowd 35:48 Superstitious Rituals in Indonesia? 36:52 How did it feel being called the Cristiano Ronaldo of the region? 37:43 How did the loan with Putra Samarinda came about? 40:41 Transition from Indonesia to Singapore 42:08 Why did Ridhuan Muhamad not reach his peak at Tampines Rovers 43:32 How was it like training with Coach V. Sundramoorthy, 45:37 Ridhuan Muhamad’s comeback with Warriors 47:15 Downfall of Warriors 50:31 When Ridhuan realised it’s time to really retire 52:02 Ridhuan Muhamad’s thoughts on a lot of players being released? 53:35 Ridhuan Muhamad as a player VS as a coach 56:10 How Ridhuan Muhamad thinks Southeast Asian Football has evolved over the years 01:00:13 Why Ridhuan Muhamad thinks Singapore Football hasn't produced an EPL-level star yet? 01:01:58 What advice would Ridhuan Muhamad give young athletes to succeed? 01:03:50 Future plans on opening an Indonesia Market for Singapore? 01:04:53 What to expect from Tanjong Pagar United 01:06:06 What’s next for Ridhuan Muhamad 01:06:53 Episode Outro ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like what you hear? Follow The Sportswire Podcast on our socials! : Instagram:   / sportswiresg   Tiktok:   / sportswiresg   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4N8vUOz... Follow Ridhuan Muhamad on his socials! : Instagram:   / supersix.10   Tiktok:   / supersixxx