“He’s only forty-two, he’s better than Zizou! He’s going to be forty-three, he’s better than Messi!”
It was Dec. 23, 2012, and an exuberant crowd had gathered at Terminal 3 of Changi Airport. As the cheer echoed through the arrival hall, a towering figure appeared beyond the glass doors, holding the AFF Championship trophy. With one hand, he raised the cup triumphantly, and the waiting fans went ballistic. At an age when most football players had long made the transition to management or retired to the pastures of the pundit’s couch, Aleksandar Duric had his first taste of international glory.
The comparisons to two of history’s best players were admittedly tongue-in-cheek, but the sentiment was completely sincere. To supporters of Singapore football, he was that good – a hard-working elder statesman, the voice of reason in flashpoints and a number 9 so lethal that the International Federation of Football History and Statistics once named him the world’s most prolific active striker. In an era of prima donnas and their scandals, here was a footballer who gave everything for his team on the pitch, and retreated to the quiet life of a devoted family man once the job was done.
Duric’s finest hour came at the end of a most improbable journey; a story that retains its impact no matter how often it’s recollected. Born in 1970 in what was then Yugoslavia, Duric was a promising athlete who had his pick of sports to pursue. By his early 20s, however, he had seen his homeland ripped apart by war – a conflict that claimed the life of his mother. Before becoming a professional footballer, he joined the newly-formed Bosnia and Herzegovina Olympic team to fly their flag in canoeing at the 1992 Summer Games. He hitchhiked to Barcelona for the opportunity to compete, an adventure that will surely be printed in paperback someday soon. Following a stint in Hungary and five years in Australia where he met his wife, Natasha, Duric arrived in Singapore. He had finally found a new home, and home it truly became when he received his Singapore citizenship after applying for it three times.
Photo: Duric receiving his commemorative national team jersey, with “53” on the back for number of caps, “24” on the front for number of goals; Coconuts Singapore / Kurt Ganapathy
Having never represented any other country in international football, Duric became available for selection for the Singapore national team, and he made his debut in 2007 against Tajikistan in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Within half an hour, the then 37-year-old had bagged a brace that helped send the Lions through to the next round. Playing for his adopted country was always his biggest source of pride in football – a fact that he revealed in many interviews. Fans responded in kind, happily embracing Aleksandar the Great as a son of Singapore. In the years to come, Duric would be capped 53 times, scoring an average of a goal every other game including decisive strikes against traditional rivals Malaysia and Thailand.
In his 40s, Duric scarcely showed any signs of slowing down, leading Tampines Rovers to a hat-trick of S.League titles on top of the 2012 AFF Championship with the national team. Though his role as a player began to diminish, it always seemed as if he would keep going, perhaps emulating the legendary Sir Stanley Matthews who lined up for Stoke City in his 50th year. Then came the announcement that the 2014 season of the S.League was to be his last. As the concluding day loomed, reality set in with a moving farewell letter published by ESPN FC. This was it.
A modest crowd filed into the Jalan Besar Stadium on Oct. 31 for the match between Tampines Rovers and Brunei DPMM. Triple defending champions Tampines could no longer win the league, but they knew that they had the potential to determine the destination of the trophy – leaders DPMM and Warriors FC were level on points with the Bruneians ahead on goal difference. Duric was honoured prior to kick-off with a video montage and the presentation of commemorative Tampines Rovers and national team jerseys. The significance of the occasion was already beginning to show as he took his seat on the bench.
In the first half, Tampines were ineffective, creating little and staying level only because of DPMM’s profligacy upfront. But as half-time approached, murmurs of excitement swept across the grandstand. Duric was on his feet. He warmed up alone, performing the same drills he’d done thousands of times before. Even in the final minutes of a career that was well into its third decade, there was the intensity, there was the focus and there was the commitment. It still mattered.
Photo: Duric enters the second half of the game against Brunei DPMM; Coconuts Singapore / Kurt GanapathyIn the second half, Tampines were a side revitalised, with Duric doing what he did best, terrorising defenders, darting into space, contesting every high ball and jogging the length of the field to thwart set pieces. Almost inevitably, he got the ball on the left flank. Holding off an opponent as his teammates pushed forward, he started a move which led to Jozef Kaplan breaking the deadlock. With the crowd imploring every player in yellow to pass the ball to him each time they had possession, the path to goal opened up. Duric stood at the edge of the box and angled for the shot. It was struck with such venom that the DPMM goalkeeper could only parry the ball to an onrushing Miljan Mrdakovic, who gleefully shuffled past him to make it 2-0. The goal was greeted with jubilation by the whole team, and Mrdakovic accorded Duric a shoe shine celebration.
The game finished 2-1 and his teammates held him aloft, dousing him in isotonic drinks as he fought back tears. The win coupled with Warriors FC’s victory over Albirex Niigata meant that the Rhinos – with whom Duric won the S.League four times – were crowned champions.
The post-match interview completed, Duric began a slow walk off the artificial turf. Waving to the stands with the emotions of the moment painted on his face, he was met at the tunnel by a group of young fans. A new generation inspired by his performances – a generation that hadn’t even been born when he first reached our shores. In his future roles in coaching and charity work, he will undoubtedly become the hero of many more.
And so the curtain fell with 376 goals for club, 24 goals for country, eight S.League titles, three Singapore Cups, the 2012 AFF Championship and a place in football folklore. As long as the Kallang Roar lives on, the exploits of Aleksandar Duric will be talked about with joy and reverence.
In his farewell letter, Duric thanked the Singapore football family for everything it had given him.
We’d like to say, “No — thank you.”
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