Fandi Ahmad
Fandi bin Ahmad PBM (born 29 May 1962) is a Singaporean professional football manager and former player. He is the current technical advisor and head coach of Malaysia Super League club Sri Pahang. During his professional career, he played mainly as a striker, but also occasionally as a midfielder. Along with the Singapore FA, he also played for Malaysia Cup state sides Kuala Lumpur FA and Pahang FA, and won titles with all three, including two doubles in 1992 and 1994, as well as the Golden Boot in 1988. Fandi also played for Indonesia's Niac Mitra, Netherlands' Groningen as well as local Singaporean clubs Geylang United and SAFFC.
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Fandi playing in a charity friendly match with the Singapore Masters in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Fandi bin Ahmad | ||
| Date of birth | 29 May 1962 | ||
| Place of birth | State of Singapore | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker, midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sri Pahang (technical advisor & head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1978 | Kaki Bukit | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1978–1982 | Singapore | 113 | (65) |
| 1982–1983 | Niac Mitra | 16 | (4) |
| 1983–1985 | Groningen | 36 | (11) |
| 1986–1989 | Kuala Lumpur | 46 | (30) |
| 1990 | OFI Crete | 0 | (0) |
| 1991–1992 | Pahang | 12 | (7) |
| 1993–1994 | Singapore | 34 | (17) |
| 1996 | Geylang United | 17 | (5) |
| 1997–1999 | Singapore Armed Forces | 60 | (32) |
| Total | 332 | (170) | |
| International career | |||
| 1979–1997 | Singapore | 92 | (55) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2000–2003 | Singapore Armed Forces | ||
| 2005–2006 | Young Lions | ||
| 2006–2010 | Pelita Jaya | ||
| 2012–2013 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | ||
| 2014–2015 | LionsXII | ||
| 2017–2019 | Young Lions | ||
| 2018 | Singapore (Interim) | ||
| 2023– | Sri Pahang | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Internationally with the Singapore national team, Fandi earned 101 caps and scored 55 goals, a record he holds today, as well as winning three Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) silver medals while being captain from 1993 to 1997. After his retirement, he began his managerial career in 2000 by helming his former playing club SAFFC, before moving on to Indonesia's Pelita Raya and Malaysia's Johor Darul Takzim, while also serving as the assistant national coach on numerous occasions while and running his own Fandi Ahmad Academy.
Fandi has been described as a national legend for Singapore. In 1994, he was awarded the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Medal) for his achievements, which included being the first Singaporean footballer to play in Europe, the first Singaporean millionaire sportsperson and the first Singaporean sportsperson to have a published biography. He has five children with his wife, South African model Wendy Jacobs, and his father is Ahmad Wartam, a former national goalkeeper. Fandi was ranked sixth in a list of Singapore's 50 Greatest Athletes of the Century by The Straits Times in 1999. His children, most notably Ikhsan, Ilhan and Irfan, are also professional footballers.