Fandi Ahmad
Encyclopedia
Fandi bin Ahmad is a football
coach
and former professional
footballer from Singapore
. During his playing career, he enjoyed success playing in both Europe
and Asia
, and was captain of the Singapore national football team
(1993–97). He is considered as one of the Singapore's best-ever football players.
to help support his family. Since his father, Ahmad Wartam, was then the national goalkeeper, Fandi started playing as a goalkeeper, but switched to playing in midfield by advice from a school teacher. When he was 12, his parents divorced, after which he lived with his father and paternal grandparents. At Serangoon Gardens Secondary School, he played for the school football team, but neglected his studies and was retained, so he transferred to the Singapore Vocational Institute, where he obtained a National Trade Certificate 3. He also played for Kaki Bukit Football Club in the amateur National Football League, where he was spotted by Singapore FA
coach Sebastian Yap.
in 1979 and quickly became a regular in the Singapore FA
midfield, scoring four goals in his first Malaysia Cup
season. The retirement of Arshad Khamis and Dollah Kassim prompted Jita Singh, the new Singapore FA coach, to play Fandi as a striker. During the 1980 Malaysia Cup
season, he scored eight goals, including the winning goal in the final against Selangor FA
. He enlisted for National Service in September 1980 and was given light duties, such as collecting the camp garbage, to allow him to concentrate on football and continue playing for Singapore FA
. In 1981, Fandi won the FAS
Footballer of the Year award for helping Singapore FA
reach the Malaysia Cup
final. The following year, Singapore FA
did not play in the Malaysia Cup
for political reasons, while Fandi had to undergo a shoulder operation that sidelined him for six weeks, leading to an early discharge from National Service.
Selangor FA
invited Fandi to play for them in a friendly against Boca Juniors
, in which he scored the only goal for Selangor FA
as they lost 1–2. He then received offers from several Malaysia Cup
teams, Indonesian Galatama League champions Niac Mitra, Swiss club Young Boys of Berne and Ajax Amsterdam
from the Netherlands
. After a three-week trial with Ajax
, the Dutch club offered Fandi a three-year contract, but he chose to sign a one-year contract with Niac Mitra instead. During his sole season with Niac Mitra, Fandi helped them successfully defend their title and was the third-highest scorer in the Galatama League with 13 goals. A friendly match between Niac Mitra and Arsenal of England
saw him score a goal and set up another in a 2–0 victory.
In 1983, Fandi did move to the Netherlands, signing a two-year contract with FC Groningen. A thigh injury in a friendly match kept him out for ten weeks, but in his Eredivisie debut, he bagged a brace in a 2–0 victory over Go Ahead Eagles. Three days later, he played in the first leg of an UEFA Cup second-round match against Inter Milan of Italy, scoring the second goal in a 2–0 upset win. The Groningen fans voted Fandi the Most Popular Player and Most Skillful Player that season, as he scored 10 goals in 29 games to help the Dutch club rise from ninth to fifth place in the Eredivisie. However, his second season was marred by a recurrence of the thigh injury and a falling out with the coach. He played only two full games that season and Groningen decided not to offer him a new contract.
The next club that Fandi played for was Malaysia Cup side Kuala Lumpur FA. In 1987, he and Malek Awab led the capital club to their first Malaysian Cup title. The following season, they Lumpur FA were Malaysian Cup champions again, with Fandi scoring 21 goals to win the Golden Boot. After helping Kuala Lumpur FA win a third consecutive Malaysia Cup, Fandi signed a two-year contract with Greek club OFI Crete in 1990, but problems with his International Transfer Certificate prevented him from playing for them, so he left Greece after two months. Fandi then joined Pahang FA, where he reverted to playing mainly in midfield due to his advancing age. Despite missing several months because of heel and thigh injuries, he scored three goals to help Pahang FA win the Malaysia Cup and Malaysian League double in 1992.
Relegation to the second tier of the Malaysian League prompted Singapore FA to successfully persuade Fandi to rejoin them. After achieving promotion and reaching the Malaysia Cup final in 1993, Singapore FA finished the 1994 season as Malaysia Cup and Malaysian League champions. Captain Fandi played in 39 of Singapore FA's 41 games in the Double-winning season, emerged as the top scorer with 26 goals and was voted Player of the Season. In 1996, the inaugural season of the S.League saw Fandi captain Geylang United and emerge as joint top scorer with 11 goals, including the equaliser that confirmed the Eagles as league champions. The Asian Football Confederation thus declared him the Player of the Month of June 1996. His playing career concluded with three seasons at Singapore Armed Forces FC, during which they won two S.League titles and two Singapore Cups. Injuries limited him to mainly short substitute appearances, but he continued to score crucial goals, notably a brace against Cambodian side Royal Dolphins in the Asian Club Championship, until his retirement in 1999.
in 1983
, 1985
and 1989
.
However, his contribution to Singapore football has not been recognised by FIFA, who have not included Fandi as one of Singapore's members in the Centurion Club.
He used to be sponsored by Lotto Sport Italia
and was named Lotto Fandi during his playing days.
Fandi was appointed a Council Member of the Football Association of Singapore
in 2001, becoming the youngest person and the first former international player to achieve this. He continued to coach professionally in Singapore and served as Assistant Coach of the Singapore team which won the regional Tiger Cup
competition in 2005. He also coached the national under-23 team and the Young Lions
in the S.League.
In 2006, Fandi joined the Indonesian club Pelita Jaya
as their coach on a three-year contract, reportedly for US$
222,000 a year. In early 2010, he resigned from Pelita Jaya
.
In 2011, it was confirmed that Fandi's Fandi Ahmad Academy(FAA) is available for registration. Though he is Asia's project manager in Genova International Soccer School, he still put in dedication and determination in his academy.
n former model Wendy Jacobs (also known as Sarah Abdullah, now a naturalised Singaporean). The couple have five children.
Two of Fandi's children, Irfan and Ikhsan, received glowing reviews from Spanish scouts at AC Milan's junior training camp in Malaga, Spain, with Ikhsan scoring ten goals in two matches. The two boys were also invited to play in two of Valencia CF
's academy team games. The duo, members of Arsenal's football school in Indonesia, also represented their academy in the English club's global under-13 tournament. Both sons have been head-hunted by English clubs like Reading, Arsenal and Chelsea.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
and former professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
footballer from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. During his playing career, he enjoyed success playing in both Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and was captain of the Singapore national football team
Singapore national football team
The Singapore national football team is the national association football team of Singapore. The team comes under the organization of the Football Association of Singapore...
(1993–97). He is considered as one of the Singapore's best-ever football players.
Early years
As a young child, Fandi was obsessed with football and spent much of his time kicking a football around his house and outside with his friends. He had to sell nasi lemakNasi lemak
Nasi lemak is a dish sold in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Riau Islands and Southern Thailand. The dish is considered the national dish and a national heritage of Malaysia. It is not to be confused with Nasi Dagang sold on the east coast of Malaysia or Terengganu and Kelantan although both dishes...
to help support his family. Since his father, Ahmad Wartam, was then the national goalkeeper, Fandi started playing as a goalkeeper, but switched to playing in midfield by advice from a school teacher. When he was 12, his parents divorced, after which he lived with his father and paternal grandparents. At Serangoon Gardens Secondary School, he played for the school football team, but neglected his studies and was retained, so he transferred to the Singapore Vocational Institute, where he obtained a National Trade Certificate 3. He also played for Kaki Bukit Football Club in the amateur National Football League, where he was spotted by Singapore FA
Singapore Lions
The Singapore Lions is the name given to a representative team of footballers representing the Football Association of Singapore in domestic competitions run by the Football Association of Malaysia...
coach Sebastian Yap.
Club career
Fandi joined Singapore FASingapore Lions
The Singapore Lions is the name given to a representative team of footballers representing the Football Association of Singapore in domestic competitions run by the Football Association of Malaysia...
in 1979 and quickly became a regular in the Singapore FA
Singapore Lions
The Singapore Lions is the name given to a representative team of footballers representing the Football Association of Singapore in domestic competitions run by the Football Association of Malaysia...
midfield, scoring four goals in his first Malaysia Cup
Malaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup is an annual association football tournament in Malaysia. It is currently the longest-running football competition in Asia...
season. The retirement of Arshad Khamis and Dollah Kassim prompted Jita Singh, the new Singapore FA coach, to play Fandi as a striker. During the 1980 Malaysia Cup
Malaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup is an annual association football tournament in Malaysia. It is currently the longest-running football competition in Asia...
season, he scored eight goals, including the winning goal in the final against Selangor FA
Selangor FA
The Football Association of Selangor , commonly referred to as FAS or simply Selangor, competes in Malaysian football competitions representing the state of Selangor Darul Ehsan. The team is based in Shah Alam city. They are currently playing in Malaysian Super League, the top-flight of Malaysian...
. He enlisted for National Service in September 1980 and was given light duties, such as collecting the camp garbage, to allow him to concentrate on football and continue playing for Singapore FA
Singapore Lions
The Singapore Lions is the name given to a representative team of footballers representing the Football Association of Singapore in domestic competitions run by the Football Association of Malaysia...
. In 1981, Fandi won the FAS
Football Association of Singapore
The Football Association of Singapore is the governing body of football in Singapore. It was founded in 1952. Prior to that, the Singapore Amateur Football Association, founded in 1892, was the governing body for football in Singapore...
Footballer of the Year award for helping Singapore FA
Singapore Lions
The Singapore Lions is the name given to a representative team of footballers representing the Football Association of Singapore in domestic competitions run by the Football Association of Malaysia...
reach the Malaysia Cup
Malaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup is an annual association football tournament in Malaysia. It is currently the longest-running football competition in Asia...
final. The following year, Singapore FA
Singapore Lions
The Singapore Lions is the name given to a representative team of footballers representing the Football Association of Singapore in domestic competitions run by the Football Association of Malaysia...
did not play in the Malaysia Cup
Malaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup is an annual association football tournament in Malaysia. It is currently the longest-running football competition in Asia...
for political reasons, while Fandi had to undergo a shoulder operation that sidelined him for six weeks, leading to an early discharge from National Service.
Selangor FA
Selangor FA
The Football Association of Selangor , commonly referred to as FAS or simply Selangor, competes in Malaysian football competitions representing the state of Selangor Darul Ehsan. The team is based in Shah Alam city. They are currently playing in Malaysian Super League, the top-flight of Malaysian...
invited Fandi to play for them in a friendly against Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
, in which he scored the only goal for Selangor FA
Selangor FA
The Football Association of Selangor , commonly referred to as FAS or simply Selangor, competes in Malaysian football competitions representing the state of Selangor Darul Ehsan. The team is based in Shah Alam city. They are currently playing in Malaysian Super League, the top-flight of Malaysian...
as they lost 1–2. He then received offers from several Malaysia Cup
Malaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup is an annual association football tournament in Malaysia. It is currently the longest-running football competition in Asia...
teams, Indonesian Galatama League champions Niac Mitra, Swiss club Young Boys of Berne and Ajax Amsterdam
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. After a three-week trial with Ajax
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
, the Dutch club offered Fandi a three-year contract, but he chose to sign a one-year contract with Niac Mitra instead. During his sole season with Niac Mitra, Fandi helped them successfully defend their title and was the third-highest scorer in the Galatama League with 13 goals. A friendly match between Niac Mitra and Arsenal of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
saw him score a goal and set up another in a 2–0 victory.
In 1983, Fandi did move to the Netherlands, signing a two-year contract with FC Groningen. A thigh injury in a friendly match kept him out for ten weeks, but in his Eredivisie debut, he bagged a brace in a 2–0 victory over Go Ahead Eagles. Three days later, he played in the first leg of an UEFA Cup second-round match against Inter Milan of Italy, scoring the second goal in a 2–0 upset win. The Groningen fans voted Fandi the Most Popular Player and Most Skillful Player that season, as he scored 10 goals in 29 games to help the Dutch club rise from ninth to fifth place in the Eredivisie. However, his second season was marred by a recurrence of the thigh injury and a falling out with the coach. He played only two full games that season and Groningen decided not to offer him a new contract.
The next club that Fandi played for was Malaysia Cup side Kuala Lumpur FA. In 1987, he and Malek Awab led the capital club to their first Malaysian Cup title. The following season, they Lumpur FA were Malaysian Cup champions again, with Fandi scoring 21 goals to win the Golden Boot. After helping Kuala Lumpur FA win a third consecutive Malaysia Cup, Fandi signed a two-year contract with Greek club OFI Crete in 1990, but problems with his International Transfer Certificate prevented him from playing for them, so he left Greece after two months. Fandi then joined Pahang FA, where he reverted to playing mainly in midfield due to his advancing age. Despite missing several months because of heel and thigh injuries, he scored three goals to help Pahang FA win the Malaysia Cup and Malaysian League double in 1992.
Relegation to the second tier of the Malaysian League prompted Singapore FA to successfully persuade Fandi to rejoin them. After achieving promotion and reaching the Malaysia Cup final in 1993, Singapore FA finished the 1994 season as Malaysia Cup and Malaysian League champions. Captain Fandi played in 39 of Singapore FA's 41 games in the Double-winning season, emerged as the top scorer with 26 goals and was voted Player of the Season. In 1996, the inaugural season of the S.League saw Fandi captain Geylang United and emerge as joint top scorer with 11 goals, including the equaliser that confirmed the Eagles as league champions. The Asian Football Confederation thus declared him the Player of the Month of June 1996. His playing career concluded with three seasons at Singapore Armed Forces FC, during which they won two S.League titles and two Singapore Cups. Injuries limited him to mainly short substitute appearances, but he continued to score crucial goals, notably a brace against Cambodian side Royal Dolphins in the Asian Club Championship, until his retirement in 1999.
International career
Fandi won 101 caps for the Singapore national football team, scoring 50 goals. He helped Singapore win the Silver Medal at the Southeast Asian GamesSoutheast Asian Games
The Southeast Asian Games , is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia...
in 1983
1983 Southeast Asian Games
The 12th Southeast Asian Games were held in Singapore from 28 May - 6 June 1983. Scheduled to be hosted by Brunei in accordance to the renewed alphabetical rotation of hosting duties, the 1983 SEA Games were offered to be hosted by Singapore as Brunei prepared for its forthcoming independence from...
, 1985
1985 Southeast Asian Games
The 13th Southeast Asian Games were held in Bangkok, Thailand from 8 December - 17 December 1985.- Medal count :- Mascot :The official 1985 SEA Games mascot was a Siamese cat.The Siamese is one of the first distinctly recognised breeds of Oriental cat...
and 1989
1989 Southeast Asian Games
The 15th Southeast Asian Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 20 August - 31 August 1989. It was officially opened by 9th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Azlan Shah. Although Cambodia did not participate, Laos returned to compete for the first time under the new federation name in this...
.
However, his contribution to Singapore football has not been recognised by FIFA, who have not included Fandi as one of Singapore's members in the Centurion Club.
He used to be sponsored by Lotto Sport Italia
Lotto Sport Italia
Lotto Sport Italia is an Italian sports apparel manufacturer. Its products are now distributed in more than 60 countries.-History:Lotto was established in 1973 by the Caberlotto family in Montebelluna, northern Italy, the world centre of footwear manufacturing. In June 1973, Lotto made its debut...
and was named Lotto Fandi during his playing days.
Coaching career
Fandi's first coaching job was at SAFFC, who he guided to winning the S. League title in 2000.Fandi was appointed a Council Member of the Football Association of Singapore
Football Association of Singapore
The Football Association of Singapore is the governing body of football in Singapore. It was founded in 1952. Prior to that, the Singapore Amateur Football Association, founded in 1892, was the governing body for football in Singapore...
in 2001, becoming the youngest person and the first former international player to achieve this. He continued to coach professionally in Singapore and served as Assistant Coach of the Singapore team which won the regional Tiger Cup
Tiger Cup
The ASEAN Football Championship , is a biennial international association football competition organized by the ASEAN Football Federation , contested by the national teams of Southeast Asia...
competition in 2005. He also coached the national under-23 team and the Young Lions
Young Lions (Singapore football team)
The Courts Young Lions are an under-23 football team from Singapore. Most of the members of the squad are players from Singapore's national under-23 team. The team comes under the direct control of the Football Association of Singapore , but is managed as a football club and has competed in...
in the S.League.
In 2006, Fandi joined the Indonesian club Pelita Jaya
Pelita Jaya
Pelita Jaya FC is an Indonesian football team located in Karawang, Indonesia founded in 1986. It was one of the most successful clubs in the Galatama era. The club's finance is mostly supported by The Bakrie Group....
as their coach on a three-year contract, reportedly for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
222,000 a year. In early 2010, he resigned from Pelita Jaya
Pelita Jaya
Pelita Jaya FC is an Indonesian football team located in Karawang, Indonesia founded in 1986. It was one of the most successful clubs in the Galatama era. The club's finance is mostly supported by The Bakrie Group....
.
In 2011, it was confirmed that Fandi's Fandi Ahmad Academy(FAA) is available for registration. Though he is Asia's project manager in Genova International Soccer School, he still put in dedication and determination in his academy.
Personal and family life
Fandi is married to South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n former model Wendy Jacobs (also known as Sarah Abdullah, now a naturalised Singaporean). The couple have five children.
Two of Fandi's children, Irfan and Ikhsan, received glowing reviews from Spanish scouts at AC Milan's junior training camp in Malaga, Spain, with Ikhsan scoring ten goals in two matches. The two boys were also invited to play in two of Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
's academy team games. The duo, members of Arsenal's football school in Indonesia, also represented their academy in the English club's global under-13 tournament. Both sons have been head-hunted by English clubs like Reading, Arsenal and Chelsea.