Fab strike

Never mind Goal of the Season, is this the best S.League goal ever?

Or could it be Singapore's first-ever entry for Fifa's Goal of the Year?

If you have missed it, go to the Great Eastern-Yeo's S.League Facebook page or search for Fabian Kwok on YouTube.

Then, just sit back and marvel at the 25-year-old Geylang International midfielder's 32nd-minute equaliser against Albirex Niigata on Thursday night.

The White Swans may have won 4-2 - with Kwok also laying on the assist for Geylang's other goal through Ridhuan Muhd - but all the buzz has been about Kwok's magical strike.

While Albirex goalkeeper Kazuki Kishigami's clearance from Kento Fujihara's back-pass was poor, it did reach the centre circle, only to find Kwok, who reacted with a thumping first-time volley that sailed into the top-left corner.

The best part? He intended it.

"When I saw the back-pass, and my teammate (Aliff Shafaein) pressuring the goalkeeper, I expected him to clear the ball," said Kwok, whose special effort is just his second S.League goal in six years since his 2009 debut for the Courts Young Lions.

"I was inside the centre circle, so I already made my mind up to take the shot first-time. The ball fell nicely for me, so I just tried and it went in.

"I'm a defensive midfielder, so every goal is special. I've chipped the goalkeeper when I was playing for Safsa in the National Football League, but this one is obviously more special because it's in the S.League and it was on the volley."

The video clip of his phenomenal goal has since gone viral on the Internet, garnering more than 2,000 likes and 1,000 shares in total, including other Facebook pages such as SoccerHighlightsToday.

POPULAR

His wonder goal was also featured on popular football websites such as Bleacher Report, 101 Great Goals, as well as on British tabloid Mirror Online.

The New Paper's analyst and former Liverpool star Ray Houghton even went as far as saying Kwok's killer strike is even better than both Wayne Rooney and Jonjo Shelvey's Premier League stunners from similar distances this season.

Remarkably, Kwok revealed to TNP all this positive feedback and encouragement have led him to rethink his decision to quit professional football at the end of this season.

The final-year business management undergraduate with the Singapore Institute of Management and RMIT University said: "I was considering quitting football after I complete my degree later this year.

"But this goal and the encouragement I've been getting will make it harder to leave."

Kwok's incredible volley is just reward for the 1.74-metre midfielder, who had to work his way back after an eight-month lay-off because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

His return to form and fitness has coincided with the Geylang's upturn in fortunes as the Eagles were on a seven-match unbeaten streak before Thursday's match.

However, Kwok is not expecting a national call-up.

He said: "Of course, it is every player's dream of breaking into the national team.

"I'll continue to give of my best and if the national coach thinks I fit his plans. That would be nice.

"But I'm not going to get carried away just because of this one goal. I still think I can perform better."

The ball fell nicely for me, so I just tried and it went in. I’m a defensive midfielder, so every goal is special.

— Fabian Kwok

WHAT THEY SAY

What a fantastic piece of skill. The boy showed great vision and instincts and yes, I think it's even better than Rooney or Shelvey's goals in terms of technique and difficulty.

- TNP columnist, former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton

It's definitely the goal of the season. In fact, I haven't seen a goal like this in the S.League, and I've been playing since 1997 (the second season of the S.League). A first-time shot in the centre of the field, into the top corner, it's really an amazing goal. I don't think he can do it again, but he did it that time and that's all that counts.

- Home United and Singapore striker Indra Sahdan Daud

What a goal. It's a great volley. I've seen many good goals, and this one is right up there.

- LionsXII coach and former national captain Fandi Ahmad

That is an insane goal. You need a lot of confidence to even attempt a shot like that, and then the technique has to be perfect to execute it and pull it off. It will be very tough for anyone to score a better goal. Fabian already has one, if not both hands, on the Goal of the Season trophy.

- National captain Shahril Ishak, 2010 S.League Goal of the Season winner

It definitely deserves to be considered for the Fifa Goal of the Year shortlist. Rooney and Shelvey scored from similar distances, but they had more time or took a touch before shooting. Fabian's volley was hit first-time, so it's definitely the better goal.

- Stanley Wong, 39, Geylang fan

FIFA PUSKAS AWARD CRITERIA

• It should be a beautiful goal (subjective - the spread of goals should include long-range shots, team goals, overhead kicks, individual plays, etc...).
• The importance of the match should be taken into account (objective - limited to A internationals, confederation championships and national top-division club matches: the more important the goal, the better).
• The goal should not be the result of luck, mistakes or a deflection by a teammate or the other team.
• The goal should support fair play, i.e. the player should not have behaved badly or have been charged with doping, for example.