SINGAPORE - Two years ago, they came in the thousands to the 55,000-seater National Stadium to cheer on their countrymen in the hunt for SEA Games football gold.

This year, Myanmar football fans who are based here could be flocking to the Toa Payoh Stadium to catch their national players in action in the S.League.

In a first for the 21-year-old league, Balestier Khalsa has signed three Myanmar footballers for the 2017 season in a bid to beef up their attack.

The Tigers struggled to find the back of the net last year, after strikers Robert Pericic and Miroslav Kristic were sidelined by injury and experienced loss of form upon their return.

The club scored a paltry 23 goals in 24 games as it finished second-last in the nine-team league table. That tally was the worst in the league, a dubious honour they shared with bottom side Garena Young Lions.

As such, Balestier head coach Marko Kraljevic has roped in Myanmar international forwards Nanda Linn Kyaw Chit, 25, and Aung Kyaw Naing, 22, to help rectify the team’s attacking woes. Both joined the Tigers for their first training session at Toa Payoh Stadium on Tuesday evening.

TODAY understands that 25-year-old attacking midfielder Kyaw Zayar Win is set to link up with the team by the end of the week.

“They (the Myanmar signings) are all attacking-minded because what we need is somebody to put the ball in the net,” said Kraljevic.

“Usually we bring (foreigners in) from Europe, but we are looking for a different direction (this time).

“After the end of last season, we already started looking at options. We’ve tracked them for a few months.

They are very skillful, very fast in transition and hardworking. We’ve signed them to be in the first team.”

The Tigers coach added: “I now have a very good goalkeeper (in Zaiful Nizam) and four or five good local defenders, so I was just hoping I could move all three foreign players forward to score the goals.

“Hopefully, together with the young local boys we’ve signed, we can achieve something.”

The Croatian tactician, who has been in charge of Balestier since 2014, admitted that financial restrictions played a part in the decision to sign the Myanmar players - who are more affordable than European imports - but he is confident they will be a “good match”.

Still, the signing of the trio will be a milestone for the S.League as the last Myanmar international who was involved in Singapore football prior to this was winger Win Aung who played for Singapore in the Malaysia Cup in 1992.

While Kyaw spent half a season with Malaysia’s Perak FA in 2014, it will be the first time that both Nanda and Aung, who signed from Yadanarbon FC and Nay Pyi Taw FC respectively, are playing outside their home country.

All three players were part of Myanmar’s 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup team but did not make last year’s squad. Nanda and Kyaw were also part of Myanmar’s 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign, while Aung turned out for the Under-23 SEA Games side that won the silver medal here in Singapore two years ago.

“Two weeks ago, I was informed of the offer from Balestier,” said Nanda. “I am so excited and happy.”

Added Aung: “I want to gain more experience, so I want to go a foreign country. When my agent told me about Balestier’s offer, I told him I wanted to play there.”

Nanda and Aung said they received a warm welcome from their new teammates and coaches at their first training session, along with an impromptu lesson in the Malay language from some of the local players.

“Singapore is a very nice country – I like it because it’s hot sometimes, and cold at other times,” said Nanda.

Aung is hopeful that their presence will help draw their countrymen to the stadium as they aim to push Balestier further up the ladder this season.

“If we show good performances, then they will support us, so our team will be successful,” he said.

Kraljevic added: “They have a lot of foreign workers working here who can support their countrymen; this was also one area the club was looking for - to attract people to watch our games.”

Myanmar nationals working in Singaporetold TODAY that they were excited at the possibility of watching their countrymen in action.

Said service engineer Zaw Hein, 37. “We are also happy to see our players in the S.League and I think many Myanmar fans will come and watch them.”

“I hope they succeed in the S.League and we can then see more Myanmar players in Singapore, which can then attract (even more) fans,” added site supervisor Thant Zin Aung, 29, who has worked here for seven years. “I will be going to watch them play for sure, as they need our support.”

Another fan, who only wanted to be known as Naung, concurred.

“Since I heard the news that Balestier was going to offer them a contract, I became one of their fans,” said the 41-year-old, who works in software support and has stayed here for five years. “This is the first time I have come to know Balestier, as I didn’t really follow the S.League before. I believe Myanmar fans here are really crazy about football and will definitely come and watch the games.”

Phyo Than Ko Ko, who is part of a Facebook page that keeps track of Myanmar players who play abroad, said they will “keep in touch” with the trio.

“I am so proud and happy for them,” said the 30-year-old sales executive,who became a Singapore citizen in 2008. “I will be there (at the games) with my friends, depending on my work schedule.... We will help them as much as we can.”