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Tag: FAS

  • Bernd Stange Will Be Offered A New Contract By FAS

    Bernd Stange Will Be Offered A New Contract By FAS

    The future of Singapore national coach Bernd Stange has been the subject of much speculation after Singapore’s unsuccessful defence of their ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup title on home soil last November.

    But in the biggest indication yet that the German will be offered a new contract, Football Association of Singapore (FAS) President Zainudin Nordin said Stange’s work has been positive for the local game since he was recruited in May 2013. More specifically, he has injected new life into the Lions with younger players, upping their technical skills and guided younger coaches.

    Zainudin was speaking to TODAY after the launch of PlayPal yesterday, a local app that helps football enthusiasts search for players and locate places they can get together for kickabouts.

    After Singapore failed to reach their semi-final target in the AFF Suzuki Cup, the FAS announced on Dec 29 that Stange’s two-year contract, which was to have originally expired in May, had been extended until after the SEA Games.

    This is to allow the 67-year-old to guide national under-23 coach Aide Iskandar at the biennial event, which Singapore will host from Jun 5 to 16. TODAY understands the FAS is likely to enter talks with him on a two-year extension to his existing deal.

    Pointing to the target the FAS gave Stange when hiring him in 2013, Zainudin said: “The KPI (key performance indicators) we set for Bernd is very simple: Focus on revitalising the team, which he has done and a lot of players have been brought into the team, improving technical expertise and guiding young coaches such as Fandi, Aide and Richard Bok.

    “If you ask me, I am very clear that the objectives and the work he has done have been very positive for Singapore football and we need to look at this from a more holistic perspective in moving on subsequently.”

    NO “KNEE-JERK” REACTION FOR “RESPONSIBLE” FAS

    Last year’s AFF Suzuki Cup was the first major senior international tournament for Stange as Singapore coach, but the Lions did not get past the group stage after losses to Thailand and Malaysia. There were calls for Stange to step down, while the FAS also came under fire in the aftermath of the exit.

    But Zainudin stressed that as a “responsible organisation”, the FAS could not resort to a “knee-jerk” reaction.

    “People were also asking for Raddy’s (former national coach Radojko Avramovic) head in 2010, after Singapore also failed to get past the AFF group stage,” he said. “This is not our style; we don’t hire and fire people for one tournament because we have a role for Bernd to play and there are KPIs for him to meet and I think this is how we should handle human resource.”

    Since the tournament, Stange has kept a low profile, but even if the FAS is extending its hand for a new deal, it needs his nod to continue their partnership.

    “That is his choice, but we believe we need to sit down subsequently to see what more can be done,” said Zainudin.

    “Now, he has a duty to carry on until after the SEA Games is over and we have to make sure we respect this. Bernd is still with us and it is important to give him the stability and ensure he is able to do his job well.”

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Safuwan Baharudin Scores, Not Enough To Avoid Defeat To Western Sydney Wanderers

    Safuwan Baharudin Scores, Not Enough To Avoid Defeat To Western Sydney Wanderers

    It all seemed promising for Safuwan Baharudin 30 minutes into his team’s A-League clash with reigning Asian club champions Western Sydney Wanderers at the Pirtek Stadium in Sydney yesterday.

    The 23-year-old Singapore football star struck a classic poacher’s goal for Melbourne City when he nodded in a 28th-minute header past ex-Liverpool reserve goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis — his second goal for the club since joining on a three-month loan last month.

    But it went downhill for Safuwan and City after that, as they ended up losing 3-2 after conceding two late goals.

    Worse, Safuwan, who played the whole 90 minutes, is now a doubt for City’s next game because of a head injury.

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

  • FAS Inks $25 Million Sponsorship Deal With International Media Rights Company

    FAS Inks $25 Million Sponsorship Deal With International Media Rights Company

    The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has inked a deal worth over $25 million with international media rights company MP & Silva.

    The six-year deal, announced on Monday (Feb 2), will see the international firm manage media and sponsorship rights, as well as international events for the Singapore national team and the age-group teams. The company is headquartered in London and Singapore, and has 18 offices worldwide.

    This is FAS’s biggest commercial partnership, surpassing the S$15 million deal signed with Tiger Beer in 2001. It is also the first time FAS is selling the commercial rights for its senior and age-group national teams. And while some fans may be concerned that this could drive up costs of watching the Lions in action, FAS says it is focused on delivering more value.

    Said FAS President Zainudin Nordin: “When you look at the way we’ve partnered MP & Silva, we want to ensure there are more things that we could do and offer to the fans. So let us see how we’re able to do this in a much more engaging way.”

    MP & Silva will also look to maximise the commercial value of the Singapore national team and generate more interest among football fans. One way they aim to do this is by organising four to six matches a year in Singapore, pitting the national side against high-profile international teams.

    The partnership will also pave the way for Singaporean players, including those in the National Football Academy (NFA) to have more opportunities for stints overseas, via MP & Silva’s network.

    The company’s portfolio includes working with the likes of FIFA, UEFA, the Olympic Council of Asia and a host of European leagues including the Barclays Premier League, Italian Serie A and La Liga. MP & Silva was also recently appointed global advisor for media and commercial rights for the Football Association of Malaysia.

    “They are the company behind the Belgian League, so you can see the immediate connectivity, because they’re talking about tje opportunity to expose our S.League players and our young players in the NFA to the opportunity for stints in Europe,” said Mr Zainudin. “You will see this happening more and more.”

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Petition To Request FAS President Zainuddin Nordin To Step Down

    Petition To Request FAS President Zainuddin Nordin To Step Down

    Petition Background (Preamble):

    After a disastrous year following Singapore’s early group stage exit from the AFF Suzuki Cup on home soil, we seek current Football Association of Singapore’s president Mr Zainuddin’s understanding and kindly request him to step down from the role at the main football governing body in Singapore.

    While the current national coach may be responsible for the failure, we believe Mr Zainuddin’s administration for the sport in Singapore has resulted to such a debacle and he should take some responsiblity for the failure as well. We believe he is not up to the task as a top administrator for the number 1 sport in Singapore.

    In addition, he has several positions in his current portfolio including being a Member of Parliament, which may enable him not to put in 100% on developing football. We need a better football administrator who is fully dedicated to develop football, with vast football knowledge and experience and to bring Singapore to a brand new chapter of greater heights at a bigger stage out of Southeast Asia.

    And thus, we request Mr Zainuddin to step down as president of FAS for the sake of Singapore football.

    Petition:

    We, the supporters of Singapore football, call on Mr Zainuddin to step down as President of FAS for the sake of the sport in Singapore.

    Ciaran Chia

     

    Source: www.therealsingapore.com

  • Safuwan Baharudin: Everyone Involved Should Shoulder Blame For Lions’ Suzuki Cup Exit

    Safuwan Baharudin: Everyone Involved Should Shoulder Blame For Lions’ Suzuki Cup Exit

    By his own admission, it was not a good 2014 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup outing for Safuwan Baharudin.

    Two years ago, he and fellow Lion Baihakki Khaizan were feted as the region’s top central defensive pairing in Singapore’s winning campaign.

    But after their exit on Saturday from the group stage of this year’s competition, the team, their coach and the Football Association of Singapore are bearing the brunt of criticism from the football fraternity and fans who had expected more from the defending champions.

    While media reports have cited disharmony in the squad and dissatisfaction with head coach Bernd Stange as reasons for the poor showing, Safuwan would not be drawn to adding more fuel to the fire.

    Instead, the 23-year-old told TODAY: “(The blame for) Singapore’s exit from the Suzuki Cup has to be shouldered by everyone in the team and not just coach Bernd Stange. We cannot push all the blame on him. Every member of the team has to share the responsibility, Stange included.

    “But he is only the coach; he decides the line-up and the tactical formation, but at the end of the day, what the players do on the field decides the outcome of the game.

    “In short, all of us are in it together. Sink or swim.”

    Calling it a nightmare outing for the Lions, Safuwan said losses to Thailand and Malaysia showed that the team still had plenty to learn.

    “Especially in our attacking part of the game, we did not score a single goal from open play, apart from Khairul Amri’s header against Thailand,” he pointed out. “The other goals came from set pieces: Free-kicks and corner kicks.

    “We lacked creativity up front. We didn’t have someone brave and confident enough to take on opposing defenders in the 18-yard box and do the damage.”

    Until the free-kick he took, which resulted in Amri equalising against Malaysia, Safuwan’s campaign this year had been teetering on disaster. His handball late in the opener against Thailand led to the visitors’ winning penalty. In the following match, his foul on Myanmar striker Kyaw Ko Ko led to yet another penalty in a poor second half for the Lions that heralded the disaster against Malaysia.

    “I must admit that I had a very quiet tournament, especially in the opening two matches. But I know I had a better game against Malaysia, and I thought I could get better if we had entered the semi-finals,” said Safuwan.

    “The Suzuki Cup is over for us. We have the World Cup qualifiers next year. And while we’re frustrated with the early exit from the Suzuki Cup, maybe we should not dwell on it anymore and move on.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com