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Tag: football

  • FIFA Monitoring FAS Situation

    FIFA Monitoring FAS Situation

    The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Electoral Committee (EC), which oversees the processes leading up to the FAS election – confirmed yesterday that the April 29 congress will go on.

    This is despite national sports agency Sport Singapore filing a police report against National Football League (NFL) club Tiong Bahru FC, whose chairman is Bill Ng, one of two presidential candidates for the FAS election.

    Ng’s Game Changers are challenging former FAS vice-president Lim Kia Tong’s Team LKT to earn the mandate of the association’s 44 affiliates next Saturday.

    Yesterday, SportSG revealed that it filed the police report on Wednesday night about an alleged misuse of funds at Tiong Bahru.

    Shortly after the announcement, the FAS’ offices at the Jalan Besar Stadium were raided, along with the clubhouses of Woodlands Wellington, Hougang United and Tiong Bahru.

    Despite the ongoing investigations, the FAS’ EC chairman K Bala Chandran said in response to media queries that there “is no reason for any disruption of the elections”.

    “The Ad Hoc Electoral Committee (EC) has no power to postpone or call off the election of the FAS Council and as at this moment knows of no reason for any disruption of the elections,” he said in a statement.

    “The duties of the EC are primarily to supervise the administrative process relating to the FAS Council elections.

    “Bearing this in mind, the EC is of the view that it will not be proper for the EC to comment and or give its views on the matters which are being raised in the press and media.”

    However, The New Paper has learnt that world football governing body Fifa is monitoring the FAS situation.

    Sources have revealed that there is a possibility of a postponement of the election, preceded by the installation of a normalisation committee as was the case in the lead-up to the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) election on Nov 10 last year.

    The PSSI were slapped with a ban for government interference in a failure to resolve a dispute between the sports ministry and football association – they were barred from football activity from June 2014 to May 2016 – before the normalisation committee was installed and the election was carried out.

    But it is not clear if a similar fate awaits Singapore.

    “In relation to your query, Fifa is monitoring the situation concerning FAS. Please understand that we can’t speculate on potential future scenarios,” a Fifa spokesman told TNP.

    Members of the local fraternity are calling for a postponement of the election, at least until investigations are concluded.

    “Looking at the current scenario, maybe a deferment or postponement of the election to a later date could be in order,” said ex-Geylang International chairman Patrick Ang, who is unaffiliated at this election.

    “This way, the affiliates can have a clearer picture, to make an informed choice in an important vote that will decide the leadership of football.”

    Former Singapore international Seak Poh Leong agreed.

    “This situation also has several implications for Lim (Kia Tong), so there is a logical reason for a delay,” said Seak.

    Lim, a former FAS vice-president, was still in office at the time several of the incidents under investigation occurred.

    CAUTIOUS

    Former FAS general secretary Steven Yeo urged all parties concerned to take a cautious, consultative approach to the matter – to ensure that Singapore does not get slapped by a Fifa ban for what could be perceived as third-party interference in football affairs.

    “If the authorities cannot assess the case by the election, how will affiliates vote? That may not go down well with the international community,” he said. “In the current circumstances, it is best that the FAS, SportSG – and their legal teams – have a consultative dialogue with Fifa.”

    Despite the uncertainty surrounding their leader Ng, it was business as usual for the Game Changers who met up with NFL clubs and women’s football sides at Bussorah Street last night to discuss plans to develop their respective games.

    Ng was not present.

    Harman Ali shared his team’s plans to secure medical coverage, links with foreign clubs, more recognition through higher prize money and an awards night, and training courses for coaches and officials.

    Zaki Ma’arof touched on a business model which could take the form of a cafe and facilities being run like a cooperative, where profits from membership and sales flow back to the NFL and Women’s League clubs to make them sustainable.

    Arriola Buenaventura Alphonsus, president of NFL Division 2 side Starlight Soccerites FC, one of 16 clubs and affiliates represented at the meeting last night, said: “Why not give them a chance to fulfil their plans and prove their worth?

    “What I feel after hearing their presentation, however, is that if they get elected, they should focus on getting the football aspects right from the first year before looking at the business model.”

    Zamri Abdullah, chairman of Women’s National League side Girls Dream Team Circuit FC, added: “A sustainable business model is a necessity for NFL and the Women’s League teams in the long run and it’s good to hear these ideas.”

    The football grapevine was abuzz with talk that some members of Ng’s Game Changers were poised to drop out of the election, but team spokesman Steven Tan rubbished the talk.

    “The full slate for the elections for Team Game Changers has been confirmed for April 29, and the team is looking forward to it,” said Tan.

     

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    Source: http://www.tnp.sg

  • Kadir Yahya: Next FAS Chief Must Be A Game Changer

    Kadir Yahya: Next FAS Chief Must Be A Game Changer

    Kadir Yahaya has had enough of the exchange of words between the two camps tussling for votes at the upcoming Football Association of Singapore (FAS) election.

    Within hours of the official call for election coming from the FAS’ Jalan Besar headquarters on Saturday morning, there were questions over the intentions of some running for office, with character and ability also called into question, and apologies soon demanded.

    Enough.

    “Like it or not, there is a tsunami coming to Singapore football. It’s best to stop bickering and remain focused,” the former Singapore international told The New Paper.

    Kadir, one of the most respected voices in local football, has spent ages thinking about the future of the sport here.

    Long before Hougang United chairman Bill Ng announced his candidacy alongside his Tampines Rovers counterpart Krishna Ramachandra, and even before the FAS finalised its new constitution to allow for a democratic election of its leadership, he had already drawn up a list.

    It was not a list of who can be president to lead football, but what a president has to do to drag the sport out of the doldrums.

    Action plans and policy ideas have to be the focus of anyone aspiring to sit in the sport’s highest office, Kadir told TNP in November, and his stance has not changed, even as more names are being associated with either camp.

    Sources reveal that Dr Dinesh Nair, chairperson of FAS’ medical committee, is in Lim Kia Tong’s camp along with officials from National Football League (NFL) clubs – Darwin Jalil (Eunos Crescent) and Albert Ng (Kembangan United).

    Ng’s camp also includes NFL officials – Harman Ali (GFA) and Md Zaki (Kaki Bukit Sports Club) – along with Tampines vice chairman Chris Wong.

    “I don’t have a preference yet, but whoever wins the election shouldn’t be slapping themselves on the back, because there is a huge task ahead.

    “I hope the president is a hands-on man, maybe even one who takes football as a full time job and is able to make important decisions immediately,” said Kadir, 47.

    He lists foresight, ambition, and straightforwardness as key attributes for the man who will helm the sport.

    “We are at a critical juncture in our football, and if we don’t improve in the next five years, our realistic opponents will be the so-called minnows, countries like Bhutan, Mongolia and Timor Leste. We need a really solid plan,” said the man who led Singapore’s Under-15s to a bronze medal at the 2010 inaugural Youth Olympic Games.

    “I hope he asks the hard questions – of where our football really is compared to our neighbours – and that football is his only agenda.

    “If there are failures in the execution of his plans, he goes public with the facts and not sugar-coat things and hide,” he added.

    “It is important that we analyse what went wrong, be transparent about it, identify what can be changed, then go again. I think the public will accept that approach, and appreciate it.”

    Kadir wants an FAS leadership that understands the average Singapore fan, aims beyond the AFF Suzuki Cup and pulls out all the stops for young footballers to realise their dream.

    “We are at a critical juncture in Singapore football. We are still just focused on the Suzuki Cup and South-east Asia Games. We need to aim higher, but our standards are dropping. There is a lot of work to be done,” said Kadir.

    “This president can be a game changer, he’ll be the first one to be elected… and I hope we get the right man.”

    KADIR’S 10-POINT WISHLIST

    1. President must know the ground intimately.

    2. Aim higher, look beyond the Suzuki Cup and SEA Games.

    3. Inspire young footballers to dream.

    4. Give recognition to icons.

    5. Set up the National Training Centre.

    6. Engage ex-internationals to train youngsters.

    7. Engage amateur footballers through tournaments and even those who play five-a-side football.

    8. Find able successors quickly

    9. Find foreigner talent who can help Singapore.

    10. Name a recognised football figure as a spokesperson.

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

  • Special Constable Irfan Fandi – Keeping Singapore Transportation Services Safe

    Special Constable Irfan Fandi – Keeping Singapore Transportation Services Safe

    For 50 years, more than one million National Servicemen have served Singapore with pride and distinction, helping to fulfil our vital need for defence and safety.

    The contributions of these National Servicemen will be recognised throughout 2017 as part of NS50, a year-long celebration to recognise past and present National Servicemen from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

     

    For Special Constable 2 (SC2) Irfan Fandi Ahmad, 20, NS was something which took him some time to settle into.

    “Before I enlisted into the SPF to serve my NS, I had been focusing on my football career so I took a while to adjust. But after awhile I started to enjoy myself. I made a lot of new friends and learnt a lot of new things,” said SC2 Irfan, who is now serving his NS as a Public Transport Security Command (Transcom) officer.

    SC2 Irfan recalls his first two weeks of training as being both mentally and physically challenging.

    “After my first book-out, the first thing I did was to go home and have a good dinner with my family. Those first two weeks were really challenging because you don’t get to see your family and your Field Instructors really pushed you to your limits,” said SC2 Irfan.

    Despite the initial challenges he faced, SC2 Irfan credits his mentors with building up his discipline and fortitude. Today, he enjoys solving cases and meeting new people while continuing to serving his NS as a Transcom officer.

    “NS has taught me the importance of sleeping early, waking up early, training hard and just being focused in everything that I do. I know this is a platform where I can learn new life experiences so I’m going to take it positively and just never give up,” remarked SC2 Irfan.

     

    Source: www.hometeam.sg

  • Rise Of The Laptop Coaches

    Rise Of The Laptop Coaches

    What do a 30-year-old Scot and a pair of 29-year-olds – one German, the other Singaporean – have in common?

    They are all young football coaches who recently made headlines trying to cut it at elite level.

    The German in question is Julian Nagelsmann, who became the youngest-ever Bundesliga manager when he was appointed Hoffenheim’s manager in February.

    Still 28 when he officially began his job, Nagelsmann helped steer the club clear of relegation last season, and has been an even bigger success this season.

    At present, Hoffenheim are one of only two clubs – Real Madrid are the other – from Europe’s top four domestic leagues who are unbeaten in their respective campaigns this season.

    While Nagelsmann has been rightly praised for his work, some of his contemporaries are copping plenty of flak.

    In Scotland, a debate has been raging after Ian Cathro was appointed Heart of Midlothian manager this month.

    The Dundee native has earned a reputation as one of the brightest young coaches in Europe, having spent the last four years as assistant coach at Rio Ave in Portugal, Valencia in Spain, and then at Newcastle United in England.

    But his unveiling as manager of four-time Scottish champions Hearts was vocally met with derision by some, including grizzled ex-pros Stephen Craigan and Kris Boyd.

    Former Scotland striker Boyd even used his newspaper column to predict that the young coach will be “way, way out of his depth”, and even questioned his “character to handle” seasoned pros.

    His scepticism stemmed from an encounter with a “shy” Cathro at a Uefa Pro Licence course.

    “He’s probably not been this excited since Fifa 17 came out on PlayStation,” sniped Boyd.

    Almost 11,000km away from Edinburgh, another up-and-coming young coach also ran into an obstacle.

    The New Paper reported last week that local trainer Firdaus Kassim failed to secure an endorsement from the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to take his AFC Pro Diploma course in Thailand, where he works as an assistant coach at second division club Chainat FC.

    Firdaus was also part of V Sundramoorthy’s coaching team for the AFF Suzuki Cup, where his primary role was to analyse matches and opponents.

    On why it turned down Firdaus’ request, he FAS explained that there must be a mandatory two-year gap between a coach earning his A License and Pro Diploma.

    Firdaus earned his A License in 2015.

    Singapore’s national football body added that it adopts “a systematic and time-based approach in the development of our young coaches who require a certain amount of practical coaching experience and/or hours before they are ready to undergo the next level of coaching courses accredited by AFC.”

    The circumstances surrounding Firdaus, Nagelsmann and Cathro vary, but they are held together by a common theme.

    All are footballs coaches with little or no playing experience, and this does bring up a talking point.

    Should football administrators be more open towards “academic coaches”, or laptop coaches, as they are sometimes derisively called?

    There is a predominant school of thought which insists that coaches without professional playing careers cannot make it as coaches.

    John Burridge, who was FAS’ goalkeeper coach from 2014 to 2015, shares this view.

    “Them coaches that have never played the game should never ever be teaching players,” said the 65-year-old former goalkeeper, who played for 29 different clubs that included Newcastle and Aston Villa.

    “You must gain experience through playing, it’s the only way. You can’t learn by computer.

    “You don’t know what the hell you are talking about if you have not been out there on the grass.

    “If you haven’t (had a professional career), you are only telling the players what you have read.”

    The famous argument against this, as the great former AC Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi once said, is that you don’t have to previously be a race horse to be a good jockey.

    Sacchi was a former shoe salesman who only played at an amateur level, but led Milan to their first Serie A title for nine years in his first season, and then two European Cups. He also took Italy to the World Cup final in 1994.

    Jose Mourinho is another fine example of a laptop coach who made it all the way to the top, winning league titles in Portugal, England, Spain and Italy.

    Khairul Asyraf, another young Singaporean coach, believes there needs to be a change in attitude towards academic coaches.

    If nurtured properly, Khairul can’t see why they cannot become successful.

    The 32-year-old Khairul, who runs the 2Touch Soccer School with younger brother Khidhir Khamis, told TNP: “In local and maybe regional context, we have not seen a young academic coach take a top division league team so far.

    “The perception change has to happen on many different levels – media, administrators, chairmen and even fellow coaches.

    “But of course you must have talent to help change this perception, and in Singapore right now, the three brightest young talents are Firdaus, Khidhir and (former Warriors FC assistant coach) Gavin Lee.

    “Just like how you would take care of a 17-year-old Hariss Harun or a 16-year-old Fandi Ahmad, these coaching talents must also be taken care of.”

    Khairul has only played at amateur National Football League level, while Khidhir, two years his junior, played in the youth teams of Geylang United (now known as Geylang International).

    Both alumni of Victoria School, Khairul has had experience coaching youth teams of S.League sides Tanjong Pagar, Woodlands Wellington and Balestier Khalsa, while Khidhir has coached the Under-16 team at Geylang, where he also led their youth development programme for a while.

    Khairul said he has never been told directly that academic coaches are not as highly regarded as ex-professionals, but said that he and his brother “get the vibe” that it is the case.

    On the scepticism over academic coaches, Khairul said: “If they are fans, I will ignore them.

    “If they are ex-pro coaches or players, I will say that a very limiting mentality will kill you as a coach or a player.

    “We are coaches and must always have a growth mindset.

    “This is the mindset that enables us to never limit a player.

    “That same idea must apply to coaches who did not play elite football.

    “Gerrard Houllier can’t kick a ball but he has achieved so much.”

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

  • Hariss Harun To Leave JDT For Loan-Stint In Portugal Or Japan

    Hariss Harun To Leave JDT For Loan-Stint In Portugal Or Japan

    Singapore national football star Hariss Harun is set for a loan-stint to Portugal or Japan, it was revealed on Wednesday (Dec 14).

    In a move that is aimed at developing the talented 26-year-old midfielder, Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) revealed in a Facebook post that sending the Lions vice-captain abroad “is the best arrangement for the club”.

    “Hariss Harun is a good and disciplined player. He means a lot to the club and we will send him out to a Portuguese or Japanese club on a year-long loan,” said JDT’s head coach Mario Gomez. “I’m sure at his current age, his playing ability will improve if he’s given a chance to play at a higher level.”

    The Argentinian tactician added: “He will be a valuable asset for the club in the future when he returns from the overseas club.”

    Hariss, 26, is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the region. A tireless box-to-box player who is tough in the tackle and a fine passer, he is the youngest ever in Singapore history to make his full national team debut in 2007 at the age of 16 years and 217 days.

    One of JDT’s highest-paid players with a reported salary of US$30,000 (S$42,700) a month, his two-year contract ends next year.

    Hariss has enjoyed great success since joining JDT on November 2013, quickly becoming a fan favourite with his tireless running and wholehearted performances.

    He helped JDT win three league titles on the trot (2014 to 2016), the Malaysian FA Cup the past season, as well as the prestigious AFC Cup last year. In 2013, he had also won the Malaysian Super League with the now defunct Singapore side LionsXII.

    However, he could not replicate his club form for the Singapore national team, as the Lions failed to qualify for the knockout rounds of the past two editions of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup.

    Before he joined JDT, Hariss was on the verge of accepting a contract offer from Portuguese Primeira Liga side, Rio Ave in July 2013.

    The deal was brokered by renowned agent Jorge Mendes – the representative of four-time world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo – and supported by Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim. However, talks broke down reportedly over Hariss’ National Service commitments and salary issues.

    If Hariss moves to Portugal, he will be following the likes of Fandi Ahmad, V Sundramoorthy and Daniel Bennett as Lions who played professional football in Europe.

    Former Singapore international R. Sasikumar reckons that Hariss is now in “the best situation” to play overseas, and described the move as “win-win” for the midfielder.

    “JDT is sending him out on loan, so that means that he still has a club to return to when his loan ends,” explained the registered player agent who helped to bring former English Premier League player Jermaine Pennant to  S.League club Tampines Rovers this year.

    “So Hariss is not taking a huge risk and throwing everything out of the window in going overseas to play.

    “He will go there with peace of mind, and can focus fully on making the most of this opportunty, improving as a player. trying to get into the squad, and then into the first team. And then he will return to JDT a much better player. It’s a dream move, a win-win for everyone.”

    Sasikumar also believes that Hariss will do well in Portugal if that is where he is heading.

    “The Portuguese league is not the Premier League, or La Liga or the Bundesliga, and I think Hariss is not far off the standard of play in Portugal. If Frederic Mendy can score goals regularly there, then Hariss can definitely play there.”

    Mendy was a former striker for Etoile FC and Home United in the S.League, scoring 62 goals in 87 games in his two seasons in Singapore before moving to Portugal to play for clubs like Estoril, Moreirense and Uniao Medeira.

    “Hariss is a good pro and his head is screwed on right,” said Sasikumar. “He’s a bit more experienced now, he has tasted what it is like to be a professional player playing in a foreign club with his stint at JDT, and now he is getting a possible second shot at playing in a higher league, either in Portugal or Japan.

    “He’s going to make the most of it.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com