Fandi Ahmad

Fandi's father, Ahmad Wartam was then a goalkeeper for the national team in the 1960s.

Fandi started playing as a goalkeeper, but switched to a midfield position under the advice of his teacher when he studied at Yio Chu Kang Primary

When he was 12, his parents divorced, after which he lived in a kampong at Jalan Eunos with his father and paternal grandparents.

At Serangoon Gardens Secondary School, Fandi played for the school football team, but neglected his studies and was held back a year.

He then transferred to the Singapore Vocational Institute and obtained a National Trade Certificate 3.

He played for Kaki Bukit SC in the amateur National Football League, where he was spotted by Singapore FA coach Sebastian Yap.

By the time he was 15, Fandi had become a regular for the Singapore national youth football team.

Fandi bin Ahmad (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 mainly played as a striker, but also played as a midfielder.

In 1977, Fandi was vice-captain of the Singapore Under-17 national team that won the Lion City Cup youth tournament.

In 1978, he became captain of the team which retained the Lion City Cup.

In August that year, Fandi was called up for a senior national team squad for a training tour in Russia, becoming the youngest footballer to represent Singapore.

Fandi joined Singapore FA in 1979 and became a regular midfield player, scoring four goals in his first Malaysia Cup season.

The retirement of Arshad Khamis and Dollah Kassim prompted Jita Singh, the new Singapore FA coach, to play Fandi as a striker.

During the 1980 Malaysia Cup season, Fandi scored eight goals, including the winning goal in the final against Selangor FA.

He enlisted for National Service in September 1980 and was given light duties, such as collecting the camp garbage, so he could continue playing for Singapore FA.

In 1981, Fandi won the FAS Footballer of the Year award for helping Singapore FA reach the Malaysia Cup final.

The following year, Singapore FA did not play in the Malaysia Cup for political reasons, and Fandi underwent a shoulder operation; he could not play football for six weeks and was discharged early from National Service.

Playing against Diego Maradona

Selangor FA invited Fandi to play for them against Argentine club Boca Juniors, which featured Diego Maradona, in a friendly game, in which Fandi scored the only goal for Selangor FA; the score was 2–1.

Fandi was just 19 while serving national service at the time and after the match, Boca's chief coach Vladislao Cap said he was keen on signing the Singaporean, whom he described as "a superb striker who can fit into any team".

Offers from Europe and final decision

Fandi received offers from several Malaysia Cup teams, Indonesian side Niac Mitra, Swiss club Young Boys and Dutch side Ajax.

It was Ajax he eventually chose, but after a three-week trial, Fandi rejected Ajax's three-year deal and with it, the opportunity to work with and be honed by the legendary Johan Cruyff and play up front with the likes of a young Marco van Basten and Jan Molby, whom he had been scouted along with but Fandi ended up signing a one-year contract with Niac Mitra instead earning S$75,000 annually, choosing to ply his trade nearer to home.

Fandi is joined with compatriot, David Lee in Niac Mitra.

Fandi helped them successfully defend their Galatama League title and was the third-highest scorer with 13 goals.

In a friendly match between Niac Mitra and Arsenal, Fandi scored a goal in a 2–0 victory; however, he left Niac Mitra due to a sudden Galatama League ban on foreign players.

Along with the Singapore FA, he had 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.

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.

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.

As a young child, Fandi was obsessed with football and spent much of his time kicking a ball.

His family lived in a two-room public housing flat in Hougang.

His family was working class; Fandi had to sell nasi lemak to help support the family.

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.