AFC | |
---|---|
Founded | 29 August 1892 |
Headquarters | 100 Tyrwhitt Rd, Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore 207542 |
FIFA affiliation | 1952 |
AFC affiliation | 1954 |
AFF affiliation | 1984 |
President | Bernard Tan (interim) |
General Secretary | See Long Lee |
Website | www |
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is the governing body responsible for the administration of football in Singapore. Established in 1892 as the Singapore Football Association (SFA), it is the oldest football association in all of Asia. [1] [2] The FAS is also one of the founding members of both the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). It has been affiliated with FIFA since 1952.
The FAS oversees the organisation and development of football and advancing the game at all levels in Singapore, and is responsible for all aspects of the amateur and professional game in its territory. This includes its flagship domestic league, the Singapore Premier League (SPL), as well as the men's, women's and youth national football teams. The FAS is headquartered at the Jalan Besar Stadium, located at Kallang.
The FAS also manages the organisation and running of league and cup competitions, the stewardship of international teams, the establishment of youth development, women's football, refereeing and coaching frameworks. [3]
The association was also previously known as the Singapore Amateur Football Association (abbreviation: SAFA) on 14 May 1929 before adopting its current name on 13 January 1966. [4]
The FAS council was first appointed by the government in 1968, and has been controlled continually by government appointees for more than three decades from the 1980s to 2015. [5] [6] [7] From 2004 to 2015, its president had been an elected member of the ruling People's Action Party, and was appointed by the Minister for Sports. [8] [9]
In 2015, FIFA requested an end to political appointments of the national body's council members. [9] [10] FAS therefore changed its constitution in 2016 and held general elections for its council members starting from 2017. [8] [9] [11] [12] In response, the FAS also stated that "We have always been in consultation with FIFA over the last 30 years. They are aware of the uniqueness of our situation, and have always given us special dispensation." [13]
As a result in the change of constitution, FAS, on the request of FIFA and its past presidents, held its first election for the FAS council. [9] The election was contested by two teams led by Lim Kia Tong, FAS provisional council president, and Bill Ng, chairman of Hougang United and NFL side, Tiong Bahru FC. [14] [15] The election was held on 29 April 2017 [16] and Lim won the elections. [17]
The National Football Academy, commonly referred to as NFA, is a football academy launched by the FAS on 13 August 2000 with the aim of developing Singapore's most promising young footballers. Trainees are scouted through a systematic talent identification process before being given the chance to develop their skills under some of the best youth coaches in the country. With teams at every age level from U-14 to U-18, the NFA co-ordinates the development of young Singaporean footballers at a national level through the domestic league system, international youth tournaments as well as overseas training attachments.
The NFA Under-18 team is made up of promising Singaporean players under the age of 18 and serves as a feeder squad mainly to the Young Lions as well as other clubs in the Singapore Premier League. The FAS enters both the NFA Blues U-17 and NFA Reds U-18 teams in the Prime League, the official reserve league of the Singapore Premier League, to allow their players to gain more exposure and match experience by playing against older and more established players. The NFA U-15 and U-16 teams also participate in the annual Lion City Cup organised by the FAS since 2011.
The NFA has produced many graduates who went on to represent the Singapore national team.
The FAS focuses on football development and operates national age group programmes with U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18 and U-23 teams (known as Young Lions, who compete in the country's professional Singapore Premier League). [3]
All Singapore Premier League clubs have also fully implemented their own programmes for the Under-14s, adding on to the existing U-16s and U-18s program. [3]
On 9 March 2021, Singapore launched a national football project called Unleash the Roar!, in line with the goal set by the FAS to qualify for the 2034 FIFA World Cup which garnered both praise and criticism from the football fraternity that failed the Goal 2010 project that was first mooted in 1998. Since the start of the project, a total of 12 school football academies have been established, of which two have dedicated programmes for girls. Unleash the Roar! aims to rally Singaporeans, inspire the next generation to create a safe, disciplined and professional sporting ecosystem. This project will provide talented Singaporeans a shot at a professional career at the highest levels of the sport and raise the bar for Singapore’s national football teams. This vision of Unleash the Roar! is based on involvement of government agencies including the Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth (MCCY) and the Ministry of Education (MOE), alongside SportSG, FAS, the football fraternity, corporate Singapore, and Singaporeans.
The project will spark a progression in Singapore’s football ecosystem with clear pathways. This includes increasing children and youth football participation in schools, scouting and development of talented players, enhancing knowledge and skill sets of coaches, and strengthening local professional football league. Players can also look forward to opportunities for training at top football academies as well as subsequently plying their trade at top leagues around the world.
In 2023, Singapore's top footballers aged 13 to 17 to form national youth squads will train at new national football development centre in Kallang.
On 6 February 2024, in a boost for large-scale talent development and identification, Singapore Youth League (SYL) was officially launched. [18] The league, an initiative under the Unleash the Roar!, is Singapore’s inaugural nation-wide elite youth football competition and is set to feature over 200 registered teams from 52 clubs and academies across various age groups. [19]
There will be six age-group categories – Under-8, Under-10, Under-12, Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17 – under the new league system spanning across three divisions. [18]
During the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September 2016, it was revealed that organising expenses on grassroots competitions like the National Football League (NFL), Island Wide League (IWL) and FA Cup amounted to about $70,000 during the previous financial year from April 2015 to March 2016. This figure which represented a mere 0.2 per cent of the FAS' total annual budget of S$35.8 million sparked disapproval within the local football community with many perceiving it as FAS's lack of regard for grassroots football. [20]
In a press conference on 13 October 2016, FAS vice-president Bernard Tan clarified that the amount did not include prize money and participation fees contributed by the teams counted under the domestic league account. [21]
In early April 2017, Bill Ng, chairman of SPL club Hougang United and NFL club Tiong Bahru Football Club (TBFC), claimed that he had donated S$850,000 to the FAS with the intention of helping Singapore football, but that the money had gone to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) instead. [22] The allegations came in the prelude to the first open election of the FAS council. [23]
FAS secretary Winston Lee responded that Ng was aware of where the funds were used, that $200,000 went to the former LionsXII, while $500,000 was used to support the AFF's Football Management System. [24] [25] Lee said that it was former FAS president Zainudin Nordin who asked Ng to donate to the AFF, while Ng disputed the claim. [26] [27] FAS responded with a statement that Ng's allegations of financial impropriety within FAS to damage the credibility of the association was regrettable, and it was unusual that Ng had chosen to hide Zainudin's role in the transaction. [28]
On 20 April 2017, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) raided the FAS headquarters over alleged financial misuse of funds filed by Sport Singapore (formerly known as the Singapore Sports Council). Zainudin Nordin, Winston Lee, Bill Ng and his wife Bonnie Wong, were all arrested before being subsequently released on bail. The four assisted with the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) with the probe into the alleged misuse of funds and obstruction of club audits of TBFC. [29] [30] [31] In September 2021, the CAD in accordance with the Attorney-General announced that they had concluded their investigations and that the individuals involved will not face charges. [32]
Name | Position | Source |
---|---|---|
Vacant | Deputy President | [53] |
Thavaneson Selvaratnam | Vice President | [53] |
Teo Hock Seng | Vice-President | [53] |
Razali Bin Md Sa’ad | Vice-President | [53] |
Ben Teng Kian Jen | Vice-President | [53] |
Dr Dinesh Nair | Member | [53] |
Lionel Lewis | Member | [53] |
Goh Tat Chuan | Member | [53] |
Teo Chwee Lian Julie | Member | [53] |
Harman Bin Ali | Member | [53] |
Lim Tong Hai | Member | [53] |
Mohammad Darwin Bin Jalil | Member | [53] |
Muhamed Rizal Bin Rasudin | Member | [53] |
Muhammad Zaki Bin Ma’arof | Member | [53] |
Mr Desmond Ong | Member (co-opted) | [53] |
Yazeen Buharim | General Secretary | [53] |
Lelaina Lim | Treasurer | [53] |
Notable Former National Players – Singapore National Football Team
List of Singaporean referee that makes headlines overseas being involved in either FIFA or AFC tournaments:
List of Singaporean players that plays in overseas countries:
The Singapore national football team represents Singapore in the senior men's international football. It is organised by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), the governing body of football in Singapore, which is affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). The team's colours are red and white. Singapore are colloquially known as "The Lions".
The Singapore Premier League, commonly abbreviated as SPL, officially known as the AIA Singapore Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a men's professional football league sanctioned by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), which represents the sport's highest level in the Singapore football league system.
Geylang International Football Club is a professional football club based in Bedok, Singapore, that competes in Singapore Premier League, the top division of football in Singapore. The club was founded in 1973 to build a successful football team that would be remembered for generations to come. They played their first season in 1974, winning the FAS Division Three League which earned a spot in National Football League Division One the following year. They enjoyed their greatest successes in the 1980s and 90s, winning six consecutive FAS Premier League titles.
Daniel Mark Bennett is a former footballer who last played as a centre-back or defensive-midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Tanjong Pagar United and the Singapore national football team. Mainly a centre-back, Bennett is a versatile player who is a strong reader of the game, allowing him to make crucial interceptions despite not being blessed with great pace; he is also known for his trademark long-range free kicks.
Tanjong Pagar United Football Club is a professional football club based in Queenstown, Singapore. The club took part in S.League from 1996 to 2004, and from 2011 to 2014. The club withdrew from the league after the 2004 season because of financial problems, but returned in 2011, with several similar breaks meanwhile. The club has since returned from 2020 onwards.
Indra Sahdan bin Daud is a former Singapore international footballer who played as a forward. He previously played for S.League clubs Geylang United, Home United, Sengkang Punggol and Singapore Armed Forces. He is known for his knack for scoring goals in big matches as well as being a pacy player in his earlier years.
Aide Iskandar bin Sahak is a former professional footballer. He was a member of the Singapore national team which won the AFF Championship in 1998, 2004 and 2007, captaining the team in the latter two editions.
Radojko "Raddy" Avramović is a Serbian retired football coach who played as a goalkeeper. Avramović most notably played for Croatian club Rijeka and English club Notts County as well as internationally for Yugoslavia. During his managerial career, Avramović was most notably a long-term manager of Singapore national team, being widely regarded as the most successful coach leading Singapore. He also briefly managed Myanmar and Kuwait national teams.
Jalan Besar Stadium, officially the Jalan Besar ActiveSG Stadium, is a football stadium located in Kallang, Singapore. The stadium is part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that includes the stadium as well as a swimming complex.
Lim Tong Hai was a centre-back for the Singapore national football team from 1989 to 1999. He held various backroom roles at former club Geylang United after retiring from his playing career until his departure in 2012. Lim is widely considered to be one of the greatest defender in the history of Singapore. He was renowned for his marking, awareness and ability to anticipate a threat from the opposition. Despite being a precise tackler and an imposing defensive presence. Lim was also known for his aerial ability, strength, tackling and man-marking, as well as his tactical knowledge
Nazri Nasir is a Singaporean professional football manager and former footballer. He was the captain of the Singapore national team from 1997 to 2003, and led the team to the 1998 AFF Championship title. He is the current coach of Young Lions, Singapore U-23 and serves as an assistant coach of the senior Singapore national team.
Aleksandar Đurić is a former professional footballer who serves as the principal for Sport Singapore and the ActiveSG Football Academy. He played in the Singapore Cosmopolitan Football League, a top amateur football league in Singapore for SCC First prior to his retirement from professional football. He was noted for being a prolific striker with strong physical presence. His professional approach to his fitness and a disciplined lifestyle contributed to extending a career spanning over three decades.
Zainudin bin Nordin is a Singaporean former politician who served as Mayor of Central Singapore District. A former member of the governing People's Action Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bishan North ward of Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC between 2001 and 2011, later the Toa Payoh East ward between 2011 and 2015.
Razali Saad is a Singaporean football defender who played for Singapore in the 1984 Asian Cup.
The Singapore Xin Hua Sports Club is a semi-professional football team that currently competing in the Singapore National Football League Division 2. It was founded in 1911 as a local football organisation in Singapore which was initially set up to promote football amongst the Chinese community in colonial Singapore.
Muhammad Safuwan bin Baharudin is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays primarily as a centre-back for Malaysia Super League club Selangor and the Singapore national team. He is known for his aerial ability, powerful headers and defensive prowess.
The National Football Academy, commonly referred to as NFA, is a football academy based in Jalan Besar, Singapore. It was launched by the Football Association of Singapore on 13 August 2000 with the aim of developing Singapore's most promising young footballers. Trainees are scouted through a systematic talent identification process before being given the chance to develop their skills under some of the best youth coaches in the country. With teams at every age level from U-14 to U-18, the NFA co-ordinates the development of young Singaporean footballers at a national level through the domestic league system, international youth tournaments as well as overseas training attachments.
Adam bin Swandi is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or winger for Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors and the Singapore national team.
Seak Poh Leong is a former Singapore national football team captain who played for National Football League side Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association and Singapore FA in the Malaysia Cup as a midfielder. He was the national team coach from 1987 to 1988 and had a reputation as a strict disciplinarian.
The 2018 Singapore Premier League was the inaugural season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs. The season began on 31 March 2018, and concluded on 3 October 2018. Albirex Niigata (S) won the league and successfully defended their title.