Like his father who plied his football trade overseas, including in Europe, Singapore defender Irfan Fandi, 21, is also set to ply his football overseas too – starting with Bangkok Glas in the Thai League 2 in the new season.
He has signed a one-year deal with the Thai club with an option for another. But for now, his focus is on tomorrow’s Group B match against the Philippines who are now under a new coach, Sven Goran Eriksson, England’s former World Cup coach from Sweden.
Father Fandi Ahmad, Singapore’s best-known professional who took his football trade to Indonesia, FC Groningen (Dutch League), and Malaysia apart from playing for local clubs, is currently the head coach of the Lions.
Apart from Irfan, Fandi has another son Ikhsan (striker) in the Singapore team and the duo played a crucial role in the team’s 1-0 win over Indonesia in their opening Group B match at the National Stadium on Friday.
The win over Indonesia was Singapore’s first in competitive football in three years which has given the Lions some measure of confidence.
Singapore, winners of the AFF Suzuki Cup title four times – 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2012 – but failed to get past the group stage in the last two editions of the premier Asean football tournament.
Eriksson, who took England to the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2006, is “excited” and has the utmost respect for Fandi and team after watching the Lions beat Indonesia. This is Eriksson’s first sojourn to this region and will also handle the team to next year’s Asian Cup Finals.
The Swede was at the National Stadium to spy on Singapore. The match against Singapore will be the first for the Philippines in the AFF Suzuki Cup this year.
Fandi, however, prefers his team to be labeled as the “underdogs” against a team that has some big names, like Cardiff City (English Premier League) goalkeeper Neil Ethridge and defender Daisuke Sato, who plays for Sepsi in the Romanian League.
The Azkals, however, have lost their striker Javier Pinto, who has withdrawn due to injury.
The Philippines-Singapore match will be played at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City. RIZAL ABDULLAH
