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Fandi Ahmad steps down from FAS post to spend more time with family

Singapore football great Fandi Ahmad. (FILE PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore)
Singapore football great Fandi Ahmad. (FILE PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore)

SINGAPORE — A month after he celebrated his 60th birthday, Fandi Ahmad has stepped down from his role as Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) head of elite youth upon completion of his contract on Thursday (30 June).

The Singapore football great said in a media release that his departure from FAS was mutually agreed upon, as he had expressed his intention to spend more time with his family.

"Having turned 60 recently, I feel it is an opportune time for me to spend more time with my family and explore other challenges," he said in the media release.

"I am grateful that FAS has respected my decision. I will be leaving the organisation with a heavy heart, as I have made countless good memories and forged friendships with many colleagues here.”

Coaching tenure with Young Lions, LionsXII, senior team

Fandi's stepping down thus ends a long coaching tenure at FAS over two spells. He took charge of the Young Lions for two seasons of the then S-League in 2005 and 2006, guiding the Under-23 side to their best-ever finish of third place in 2006.

He returned to the FAS in 2014, when he was appointed as head coach of the LionsXII team that competed in the Malaysian Super League from 2012 to 2015. In his two seasons in charge, Fandi guided the team to lift the Malaysia FA Cup in 2015, beating Kelantan 3-1 in the final.

After the LionsXII disbanded, Fandi remained in FAS, where he was appointed as head coach (youth) in 2016.

He took charge of the Young Lions for the start of the 2018 Singapore Premier League season, but was subsequently appointed as interim men's senior national team head coach in May, following the departure of previous head coach V. Sundram Moorthy. He led the Lions at the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup, where they exited in the group stage.

In his final coaching assignment, Fandi led the U-22s at the 2019 SEA Games in Manila, where they were also eliminated in the group stage.

Instrumental in identifying, developing young talents: FAS

FAS said in the media release that Fandi has been instrumental in identifying and developing youth talent by giving opportunities to the likes of Jacob Mahler, Naqiuddin Eunos, Nur Adam Abdullah, Saifullah Akbar and Zulqarnaen Suzliman during his tenure.

"We would like to place on record our utmost thanks to Fandi for his various contributions and service to the organisation," said FAS general secretary Yazeen Buhari.

"I have had the privilege of working with him, and have seen first-hand how he inspired and uplifted both his colleagues and players under his tutelage. We are all grateful for his hard work, and I am pretty confident Fandi will continue to be involved with our football in some way, after his much-deserved break.”

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