Saifullah Akbar

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Saifullah Akbar
Personal information
Full name Muhammad Saifullah bin Mohammad Akbar[1]
Date of birth (1999-01-31) January 31, 1999 (age 22)
Place of birth Singapore
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Lion City Sailors FC
Number 17
Youth career
20??–2016 Tampines Rovers FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 Tampines Rovers FC 1 (0)
2018-2019 Young Lions FC 24 (3)
2020– Lion City Sailors FC 20 (5)
National team‡
2016-2017 Singapore U19[1][2] 4 (1)
2019 Singapore U22 2 (1)
2021– Singapore 5 (0)
Honours
Men's football
Representing  Singapore
Merlion Cup
Winner 2019 Singapore
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 February 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 December 2021

Saifullah Akbar (born January 31, 1999) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors FC and the Singapore national team.

Youth and early life[]

At the age of six, he started playing football and quickly gained entry into the then called Five Star Football Academy.[3]

Club career[]

Touted as a prospective football player and one to watch for Singapore,[3][4][5] he participated in the Lion City Cup with Ikhsan Fandi playing for the NFA U-16.[6]

Trialing with Newcastle Jets FC in 2015, their assistant coach indicated that they were interested in a youth team deal with the youngster.[7] However, he couldn't transfer there as FIFA rules prohibit players under 18 from joining a club abroad unless their parents reside and work in that country.[8] Previously, he had a training stint with QPR along with three other Singaporean teenagers[9] that lasted for five days.[10][11] Also, he had a two-week stint at Metz, funded by the Singapore Sport School.[12]

On his first-team debut, he scored a goal to secure a 6-4 win over Hougang United FC[4] in the Singapore League Cup.[13] After training daily with the Tampines Rovers first team throughout the 2015 S.League season, he joined their Prime League squad with the aim of making the Singapore roster for the biannual 2017 SEA Games.[14]

He joined Young Lions FC after his national service and played the out the remainder of the 2018 campaign. While on trial at CD Tenerife, he did enough to be offered a contract with the club's B team, he however chose to remain with Young Lions for the 2019 Singapore Premier League season due to developmental reasons.[14] Saifullah became a key member of the Young Lions squad that season, featuring regularly at the right wing position under Coach Fandi Ahmad.

International career[]

He represented Singapore in the 2013 Asian Youth Games staged in the provincial city of Nanjing.[3]

In 2016, he was called up for the Singapore U19 team facing the Bahrain U19 selection.[1][2]

On 17 May 2021, Saifullah Akbar got the national team call-up by head coach Tatsuma Yoshida for the remaining Asian World Cup qualifiers in June.[15] Fast forward to 3 June, Saifullah made his first-ever national team debut against Palestine by coming on as a substitution for Hafiz Nor in the 65th minute.[16]

Career statistics[]

Club[]

As of 10 Oct 2021[17]
Club Season League Singapore Cup League Cup AFC Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Tampines Rovers 2016 S.League 1 0 0 0 5 2 0 0 6 2
Total 1 0 0 0 5 2 0 0 6 2
Young Lions FC 2018 Singapore Premier League 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
2019 Singapore Premier League 21 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 3
Total 24 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 3
Lion City Sailors 2020 Singapore Premier League 11 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 2
2021 Singapore Premier League 20 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 4
2022 Singapore Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 31 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 31 6
Career total 56 9 0 0 5 2 0 0 61 11
Notes

International[]

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Singapore
2021 5 0
Total 5 0

International caps[]

No Date Venue Opponent Result Competition
1 3 June 2021 King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  Palestine 0-4 (lost) 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Second Round
2 8 June 2021 King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  Uzbekistan 5-0 (lost) 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Second Round
3 12 June 2021 King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  Saudi Arabia 0-3 (lost) 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Second Round
4 11 November 2021 Al Hamriya Sports Club Stadium, Sharjah, UAE  Kyrgyzstan 1-2 (lost) Friendly
5 18 December 2021 National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore  Thailand 0-2(lost) 2020 AFF Championship

U23 International caps[]

No Date Venue Opponent Result Competition
1 26 March 2019 MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia  Mongolia 3-1 (won) 2020 AFC U-23 Championship qualification
2 5 December 2019 Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines  Brunei 7-0 (won) 2019 Southeast Asian Games
3 25 October 2021 Jalan Besar Stadium, Jalan Besar, Singapore  Timor-Leste 2-2 (draw) 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification
4 28 October 2021 Jalan Besar Stadium, Jalan Besar, Singapore  Philippines 1-0 (won) 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification
5 31 October 2021 Jalan Besar Stadium, Jalan Besar, Singapore  South Korea 1-5 (lost) 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification

U23 International goals[]

As of match played 8 June 2019.
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 5 December 2019 Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines  Brunei
3–0
7-0
 2019 Southeast Asian Games

U19 International caps[]

No Date Venue Opponent Result Competition
1 17 September 2016 , Hanoi, Vietnam  Philippines 2-1 (won) 2016 AFF U-19 Youth Championship
2 19 September 2016 , Hanoi, Vietnam  Timor-Leste 0-2 (lost) 2016 AFF U-19 Youth Championship
3 4 November 2017 MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia  Thailand 1-3 (lost) 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualification
4 8 November 2017 MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia  Mongolia 2-4 (lost) 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualification

U19 goals[]

Scores and results list Singapore's goal tally first.[18]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 4 September 2017 Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar  Laos
2–0
3-0
 2017 AFF U-18 Youth Championship
2. 8 November 2017 MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia  Mongolia
2–0
2–4
 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualification

Personal life[]

Saifullah's father is Akbar Nawas who helped him volunteer for early national service enlistment.[19] As a hobby, he plays guitar and sings and supports Chelsea.[20]

Honours[]

International[]

Singapore U22

Individual[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Singapore Under-19 to play Bahrain friendlies". Goal.com. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  2. ^ a b "Saifullah hoping for Young Lions' boost against Bahrain". Fourfourtwo.com. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  3. ^ a b c "Saifullah Akbar joins Young Lions with Tenerife move on hold till 2020". FoxSport.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  4. ^ a b "Saifullah vows to fight on after 'dream debut'". 16 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Lion City Cup". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  6. ^ "Football: Saifullah Akbar, Ikhsan Fandi keen to show calibre at Lion City Cup". Straitstimes.com. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2017-07-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "No Jets deal for Singapore starlet". Fourfourtwo.com. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  9. ^ "Off to London, to train with QPR - The Football Association of Singapore". Fas.org.sg. Archived from the original on 2014-09-29. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  10. ^ "QPR, Day 5 + Saifullah Akbar's thoughts - The Football Association of Singapore". Fas.org.sg. Archived from the original on 2015-03-30. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  11. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-08-03. Retrieved 2017-07-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ "PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News". Pressreader.com. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  13. ^ "2016 League Cup: Young Player of the Tournament". FourFourTwo.com. 31 July 2016. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  14. ^ a b "The Young Gun – Saifullah Akbar, Tampines Rovers". Fourfourtwo.com. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  15. ^ "Tatsuma names Lions squad for remaining World Cup qualifiers in June - Football Association of Singapore". Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  16. ^ "Lions fall to defeat against Palestine - Football Association of Singapore". Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  17. ^ Saifullah Akbar at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  18. ^ "Mahler, Jacob". National Football Teams. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  19. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-05. Retrieved 2017-07-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ^ "The Boy's a Bit Special: Saifullah Akbar". Fourfourtwo.com. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  21. ^ "Gabriel Quak named SPL Player of the Year at FAS Awards Night 2020 - Football Association of Singapore". spl.sg.

External links[]

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