The love affair between the Lions and their fans has rekindled in the past week, with national captain Hariss Harun admitting that the last two matches against China have helped “reignite the connection” after a torrid 14 months.

Under new coach Tsutomu Ogura, the national football team have given supporters cause for cheer and optimism with their performances against the Chinese, holding the 88th-ranked team to a 2-2 draw at home on March 21 before losing 4-1 in Tianjin five days later.