A night to remember forever: Lions fans on 1994 final

Like in the 1994 animated film The Lion King, one scene has endured since the Malaysia Cup final 30 years ago - that of four-year-old twins Fadly and Farid dressed in identical lion suits and held aloft by their father Jamil Sulong.

- Deepanraj Ganesan

That iconic photo was captured on Dec 17, 1994, when the Lions beat Pahang 4-0 at the Shah Alam Stadium to seal the M-League and Malaysia Cup double, sparking off wild celebrations among the 50,000 Singaporean fans in the stands and more back home.

It is a moment that many fans still remember fondly.

Now 34, Fadly recalled: "My brother and I were only four but that was an atmosphere that you can never forget. It is a night that has inspired us to be lifelong supporters of the national team, regardless of how they are performing.

"It was a bonus that we got a photograph (of our father carrying us) to remember forever. We bought a few copies of that paper and have kept it."

The family started following the Lions fervently midway through the 1992 season. Jamil, 70, told The Straits Times that he was part of the Die-Hard Fans group and the family would travel to all the Lions' away games with bus operator Akbar Hashim.

They would stay at the same hotel as the Lions, which gave fans like him an unforgettable opportunity to rub shoulders with the players before and after games.