Tag: LionsXII

Lions Suzuki Cup Debacle: Replace Bernd Stange With Local Coach?

The Lions’ ignominious group-stage exit from the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Malaysia has prompted fans and former national footballers to call for swift changes to local football and its management.

The brickbats came fast and furious after the defending champions’ poor showing, with some calling for national head coach Bernd Stange to resign, while others pointed to issues within the sport that have seen Singapore’s world ranking slide to No 158 this month as well as the S-League’s recent brouhaha with the decision to reduce the number of clubs and implement age restrictions for players.

Former national defender R Sasikumar and veteran footballer Aleksandar Duric have joined in the chorus for Mr Stange to quit. Mr Sasikumar told TODAY: “I don’t think the calls are premature as the coach is there to get a result. It is time for him to go and to let us rebuild with local coaches. Ninety per cent of the public would want V Sundramoorthy or Fandi Ahmad as national coach.”

But Mr Sasikumar — who won the Tiger Cup with the team in 1998 — believes the root of the Lions’ problems lies much deeper. “There are fundamental issues that need to be addressed … The Germans did it after they were kicked out of Euro 2000. It is also time for us to take stock of how we play football and how we approach football and we need to fix it,” said Mr Sasikumar.

“After the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup loss, what was done was aesthetic and we didn’t make changes to the philosophy of football. Right now, we talk about (the Football Association of Singapore) Strategic Plan, but where are the key performance indicators? Is it winning the Suzuki Cup consistently or qualifying for the AFC Cup?

“If you are a private organisation, it’s natural that when you don’t give shareholders (what they want), they will look at the management. Football is no different, and that is accountability.”

Added local football fan Navin Nambiar: “I’m not calling for Bernd Stange to be sacked as coaches need time. But looking at this, will a local coach do any worse? Some local flavour will be good and it would have been nice to see Fandi come up against Malaysian coach Dollah Salleh.”

While players such as Hariss Harun, Shahril Ishak and Shakir Hamzah drew praise for their performances on the field, others came under fire. Former Lions player Rafi Ali attributed the poor performances to the lack of technical ability, saying: “My observation of teams such as Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar is that their technical ability is good. Thailand are very comfortable with the ball, they move the ball nicely and are exciting to watch.

“What is most glaring (about Singapore) is the lack of basic technique, such as passing and movement. We have to look at it and stop giving excuses. The most important thing is to grow the players technically, so the national coach has a lot of players to look at.”

Aside from next year’s 2018 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, the next big tournament will be the 2015 SEA Games to be held here from June 5 to 16. The gold medal is the target for the national Under-23 side, and former Singapore international Terry Pathmanathan said: “Players will be under tremendous pressure. They have to identify the players quickly and move them into regular training together.

“I don’t know how much help it is for the Young Lions to play in the S-League as playing there and against Under-23 opponents is different.”

Local fan Yusuf Kay, 39, is not hopeful of the team’s chances just yet, saying: “I don’t expect much for the SEA Games as a lot more needs to be done.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

December 1, 2014
Irfan Fandi To Work Even Harder After Top 40 Achievement

SINGAPORE: Irfan Fandi, son of Singapore’s football icon, Fandi Ahmad, was recently named in a list of top 40 best young talents in world football. The 17-year-old was the only Singaporean among six Asian youngsters on the list that was posted on British news site, The Guardian.

In an interview with Channel NewsAsia on Tuesday (Nov 11), the teenager, currently training in Chile, said he first got wind of it on social media.

“My teacher from my old school, the Singapore Sports School, told me about this through Instagram,” said Irfan. “At first, I thought she was joking, then she sent me more links to it and then I realised that it was all real.

“Then after a few hours, I got tweets from people and Instagram pictures, and I felt really happy because I have been working really hard for the past few years. This doesn’t mean that I stop working hard, it only means that I have to work even harder for the next upcoming years.”

At 1.86 metres tall, Irfan has a significant height advantage over other Asian footballers. He is hoping to gain valuable experience from his training stint in Chile.

“The biggest change for me is adapting to the weather and also adapting to the playing style here,” he said. “The style of play in Chile compared to Singapore is totally different. Here, it’s really fast, really technical. So I have to work really hard to be at their standard, and then be better than them to play in a higher level than them.”

His father, Fandi, was the first Singaporean footballer to play in Europe, and said going west is the aim.

“Definitely, their main target is to play professionally in Europe, anywhere in Europe,” said Fandi. “But because they love football too much, so much, that’s why they are on this path, and they want to carry the name of Fandi Ahmad.

“Right now, I think focus is on Irfan, as he is already 17 years old. I know it’s not easy for a 17-year-old to sign a contract. It’s against the rules. But slowly, surely, I am sure he will get there.”

CIMB has offered a 6-figure sponsorship deal to both Irfan and his 15-year-old brother, Ikhsan.

“I am sure all soccer-loving Singaporeans must feel very proud that one of our home-grown young football talents has been voted one of the Top 40 best footballers,” said CIMB Bank Singapore CEO Mak Lye Mun. “I also read that Irfan’s stint in Chile has made him a better footballer and that was one of the reasons why he was voted, so CIMB is happy that we played a part in that sponsorship.”

With football scouts sniffing around, there could be a chance that Irfan will eventually follow in his father’s footsteps and play for a European club.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

November 12, 2014
Aleksandar Duric: Thank You and Goodbye

“It is hard to put my thoughts into one letter, but I needed to bid a proper farewell to my football family. The Singapore football family.

Friday will be one of the saddest days of my life. It is all coming to an end. A beautiful dream that I could never have imagined growing up as a boy from a small town in Doboj, Yugoslavia.

The moment the final whistle goes, I know the memories will start flooding into my mind, the hundreds of matches I played, the different goals I scored and the heartbreaking moments when my team lost.

I still remember when I first set foot in Singapore in 1999, I reported for training with Tanjong Pagar United FC at Queenstown Stadium and I asked one of my new teammates, “OK, so this is the training ground, so where is the stadium we play at?”

He stared at me blankly for a minute and we both couldn’t stop laughing at my silly question that I am still embarrassed about today. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that, 16 years later at the young age of 44, I will end my career in the very same league with 321 goals, 16 domestic titles and eight individual awards.

While my club career was important to me, my proudest and biggest moment was when I received my Singapore citizenship in October 2007 and was called up by Coach Raddy [Radojko Avramovic] for the national team at the age of 37. I scored both goals in my first game against Tajikistan in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier on my debut. It still sends shivers down my spine when I talk about it now.

That will be etched in my mind as the proudest moment of my life, apart from the birth of my kids Isabella Nina, Alessandro Hugo and seeing my adopted son Massimo Luca growing up each day.

Duric with his three kids Bella, Alessandro and Massimo when he won the S.League title back in 2013 .
I have enjoyed every single moment of this career and I cannot tell you how much emotions I have gone through. The sadness of losing league titles, to the joy of lifting my first ASEAN trophy with the Lions in 2012.

Having played for 15 different club sides, my 24 goals in 53 appearances for the national team will be my biggest take away from the game. I sweat blood and tears for Singapore, and I would give everything to do it all over again.

All I want now is for somebody to remember me as a decent player, who was humble both on and off the pitch, who tried my very best and gave everything to the clubs I played for and the pride I had wearing the Singapore jersey.

For the rest of my life, I will live another dream. The dream of giving back to the country that has given me so much. That is why I decided to adopt Massimo and I will now focus on helping Southeast Asian kids fulfill their dreams of playing professional football, scoring goals like I did and have a better life.

Please forgive me if I cannot hold back my tears on Friday night, but the emotions I am going to experience will be something I cannot describe.

It is hard to sum it all up in one sentence but I thank each and every one of the coaches, players and fans who have treated me like one of their own. For making my life so beautiful and rich in memories.

Now it is time for me to take my seat in the stands and cheer Singapore on and I am excited to finally have the chance to chant with the fans and do the Kallang wave as a die-hard supporter.

So with this, I sign off my football playing career and I ask of you to remember me, the tall old striker who loves Singapore, my home.

Thank you S.League, thank you Singapore and thank you my fellow Singaporeans. From a decent striker, a loving father and most importantly, a son of the Lion City.”

Aleksandar Duric

Duric was speaking to ESPN FC’s Kelvin Leong

Source: www.espnfc.com/blog/football-asia

October 29, 2014
Pemain Bolasepak Singapura Buka Gerai Makanan

BELIAU mempesonakan peminat di padang bola.

Kini, penjaring utama pasukan bola sepak LionsXII, Mohammad Khairul Amri Mohammad Kamal, yang dikenali peminat sebagai Khairul Amri, ingin pula menarik pelanggan dengan sajian nasi campur di gerainya, Chef Tiga Rasa.

Dibuka awal bulan ini, gerai tersebut bertapak di Woodlands Industrial Park E2, #01-01.

“Tiga rasa? Sebab kami dapat menyediakan makanan Melayu, Cina, dan India.

Kami sudah merancang selama dua tahun sebelum membuka gerai ini,” ujar Amri yang memberikan nama tersebut.

Cef gerai ialah ibu mentuanya, Cik Norhayati Hashim, 53 tahun.

“Sebenarnya, dahulu ibu mentua saya pernah mengusahakan dua gerai nasi campur di Jurong.

“Namun, beliau berhenti sebab penat. Beliau pun pernah bertugas di Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) dan berpengalaman memasak sekitar 30 tahun,” ujar Amri.

“Kini, saya dan isteri sedang mempelajari selok-belok dapur dan cara memasak resipi beliau,” tambah beliau yang kini sudah kembali berlatih.

Amri terpaksa berehat selepas mengalami kecederaan pada tulang pipinya semasa melawan Felda United bulan lalu.

Isterinya, Cik Noor Aliffiah Roslan, 31 tahun, bantu menguruskan gerai yang dibuka Isnin hingga Jumaat, dari 7 pagi hingga 3 petang.

“Jika Amri ada latihan pagi, saya dan ibu akan mengurus kedai.

Oleh sebab pusat makanan ini baru sahaja dibuka selepas dua tahun, tidak ramai pelanggan yang tahu.

“Saya harap setelah memberikannya masa, lebih ramai yang tahu dan mengunjungi gerai kami,” ujar Cik Noor Aliffiah.

Lokasi yang dipilih mempunyai ruang dapur yang dapat memasak jumlah yang banyak bagi acara seperti majlis perkahwinan.

“Kami sediakan khidmat tempahan bagi semua majlis. Ibu mentua saya sebelum ini berpengalaman memasak bagi majlis kahwin,” tambah Amri. Semestinya, cabaran mengurus gerai dan bermain bola amat berbeza.

“Harus banyak bersabar. Saya utamakan sajian yang sedap. Bagi saya, kalau makanannya sedap pasti pelanggan akan kembali,” kata Amri.

Antara hidangan yang dapat dinikmati pelanggan ialah masakan asam pedas dan lemak cili padi Negeri Sembilan.

“Saya mempelajari resipi ibu dan dapat menyediakan masakan tersebut. Amri turut membantu di dapur. Namun, beliau masih lagi sedang belajar, jadi masih belum dapat masak lauk-pauk,” kata Cik Noor Aliffiah.

“Saya berharap dapat menjadikan Chef Tiga Rasa sebuah jenama.

Kalau dapat sambutan yang baik, kami ada rancangan membuka kafe pada masa hadapan,” ujarnya yang berharap dapat mewariskan perniagaannya kepada dua anak lelakinya.

Selain daripada Amri, terdapat pemain bola lain yang turut membuka bisnes. Baihakki Khaizan serta dua lagi rakan kongsinya telah menubuhkan syarikat ubah elok, 3Bai3 Creative Work, di Joo Chiat Road pada 2013.

Bekas pemain kebangsaan, Syed Abdul Mutalib, bersama dua rakan kongsinya turut membuka restoran, House of Briyani, di 96 Owen Road pada 2013.

Pada 2011 pula, Fandi Ahmad menubuhkan Akademi Fandi Ahmad (FAA) di SAFRA, Tampines.

Sumber: http://beritaharian.sg/ekoniaga/bolehkah-nasi-campur-bola#sthash.Q717oWNE.dpuf

September 25, 2014
Perubahan Drastik: Separuh Pemain LionsXII Akan Dilepaskan?

SEPARUH pemain LionsXII mungkin dilepaskan musim depan – antara perubahan paling ketara bagi pasukan itu selepas ia menamatkan musim bola sepak yang mengecewakan minggu lalu.

Walau enggan mendedahkan sebarang nama sebelum beliau berbincang dan mencapai kata putus dengan ketua jurulatih nasional Bernd Stange, jurulatih LionsXII, Fandi Ahmad, akur perubahan drastik itu perlu demi mempertingkat persembahan pasukan musim depan.

“Lebih 70 peratus pemain kami tidak mencapai sasaran masing-masing musim ini… amat menghampakan,” kata Fandi, apabila diminta menilai persembahan LionsXII musim ini. Seramai 24 pemain didaftarkan di awal musim.

“Ini bukan masanya bagi kami menyalahkan sesiapa, tapi banyak lagi perubahan diperlukan… bukan sahaja daripada segi pasukan malah dalam pelbagai aspek berkaitan,” kata Fandi apabila ditemui Berita Harian semalam.

Menurut Fandi, dalam musim yang ‘bermula dan berakhir dengan kekecewaan’, hanya seorang pemain sahaja yang mencapai matlamat yang ditetapkan di awal musim – pemain sayap Faris Ramli – yang menyumbang lapan gol sepanjang musim.

Fandi juga menamakan enam pemain yang dianggapnya telah menyumbang dengan konsisten kepada pasukan – penjaga gawang Izwan Mahbud; pemain pertahanan Faritz Hameed, Safuwan Baharudin, Shakir Hamzah; dan pemain midfield Isa Halim dan Hafiz Abu Sujad.

Musim LionsXII, juara Liga Super Malaysia (MSL) 2013, berakhir dengan kekecewaan selepas ia tersingkir daripada Piala Malaysia di peringkat kumpulan minggu lalu – kali pertama ia tidak mara ke suku akhir sejak menyertai semula pertandingan dalam 2012.

Ia juga tersingkir di pusingan kedua Piala FA dan hanya menduduki tempat kelapan dalam MSL dengan meraih 28 mata daripada 22 perlawanan. Masalah utama LionsXII – ketumpulan serangannya – adalah ketara.

Dalam 30 perlawanan merangkumi tiga pertandingan, MSL, Piala FA dan Piala Malaysia, LionsXII menjaringkan 37 gol – nisbah 1.2 gol setiap perlawanan.

Namun bagi Fandi, kalah, menang atau seri tidak begitu penting, berbanding dengan keberanian dan sifat berjuang yang katanya berkurangan dalam kalangan sebahagian besar pemainnya.

“Kami perlukan pemain yang berani dan memberi komitmen sepenuhnya dalam setiap perlawanan.

“Pemain tahu pendirian saya dan saya selalu memberitahu mereka supaya jangan bimbangkan keputusan asalkan mereka beri saya komitmen yang saya inginkan,” kata Fandi yang memberitahu bahawa beliau berharap berjaya mendapatkan beberapa pemain lebih berpengalaman musim depan demi membimbing pemain muda.

Apabila diminta Berita Harian memberi sedikit gambaran atau garis masa tentang rancangannya bagi LionsXII, Stange memberitahu bahawa beliau akan memiliki gambaran lebih baik selepas skuad nasional bawah 23 tahun pulang dari Sukan Asia di Incheon, Korea, bulan ini.

Namun keputusan muktamad tentang LionsXII diharap dapat dicapai sebelum Piala AFF Suzuki bermula November nanti, kata Stange. Adalah difahamkan, menjelang Sukan Asia Tenggara (SEA) ke-28 di Singapura tahun depan, keutamaan pemilihan pemain akan diberikan kepada pasukan bawah 23 tahun.

Sementara sedar akan keutamaan itu Fandi meluahkan harapan diberi masa dan ruang untuk membentuk pasukan yang sebaiknya menjelang musim MSL tahun depan “Kami perlu membuat perancangan teliti dan menetapkan objektif awal.

Jika tidak, masalah lama boleh berulang,” kata Fandi.

Sumber: http://beritaharian.sg/sukan/lionsxii/separuh-pemain-lionsxii-akan-dilepaskan

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September 5, 2014