PONTIAN: Last year, former national football player Mohammad Gopi Rizqi Rama Chandra made headlines after revealing he had faced financial difficulties after not receiving his wages for eight months.
The situation prompted him to sell air balang (drinks in containers) outside his home in Kampung Api-Api during Ramadan to earn extra income, sparking the interest of locals and football fans alike.
This Ramadan, he has returned to selling drinks, not out of necessity, but because fans wanted to see him back in action.
Mohammad Gopi Rizqi, 37, who converted to Islam in 2019, said fans and friends had been asking him about his plans on social media even before Ramadan, with some planning to visit him.
“I’m back selling because fans kept asking. Their messages motivated me to get going again,” he said, Bernama reported.
Mohammad Gopi Rizqi had played for Pahang between 2010 and 2015, Selangor (2016), JDT (2017-2018), Melaka United (2018), PDRM (2019) and Sri Pahang FC (2020) before finishing his career with Kuala Lumpur Rovers in 2025.
He also represented Harimau Malaya from 2012 to 2015.
Mohammad Gopi Rizqi described his stint selling air balang last year as memorable, with daily sales jumping from 30 to over 150 packs after media coverage.
This year, he has included other drink options such as air jagung, air mata kucing, bandung cincau, and tau fu fa.
He now runs Benut Junior FC, a football academy based in Pekan Benut, focusing on grassroots talent by training players aged 13 to 15, particularly school students around Pontian.
