Why it has to be Fandi

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http://www.todayonline.com/sports/why-it-has-be-fandi

Sometimes a problem comes along for which the solution is simply too obvious, and Singapore football is in such a situation.

The LionsXII have lost head coach V Sundramoorthy to richer pastures across the Causeway, and this weekend, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) will advertise for his successor.

Several names have been bandied about — Fandi Ahmad, Aide Iskandar, Richard Bok, Terry Pathmanathan. Right now, Fandi and Aide are being talked up as the top candidates for the job if they put their hands up for it.

However, Sundram’s replacement should — and must — be Fandi.

The FAS decided to re-enter Malaysia’s football competitions in 2011 arguably after years of dwindling attendances at S-League matches. Possibly, they were driven to action too by the constant refrain of “when Singapore used to play in Malaysia Cup”.

The LionsXII were thus set up with an initial shelf life of four years, as stated in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the football associations of Malaysia and Singapore in 2011.

At the midway point of the MoU, it can be argued that the FAS has gained much.

The LionsXII were feted as national heroes after they won the 2013 Malaysia Super League (MSL) title, and their key players are coveted by Malaysian sides.

In June, the LionsXII provided 10 players in Bernd Stange’s initial national squad of 23. That number has increased to 14 in the latest call-up.

Significantly, the average attendance for the LionsXII’s 15 home games at Jalan Besar Stadium this season is 7,200, far more than what S-League matches attract.

So, appointing the right man to succeed Sundram is important. Fandi fits the bill.

Apart from the fact he is available, Fandi has a more than decent coaching resume and immediate experience of coaching in the MSL. More importantly, he brings a cachet no other footballer in Singapore, not even Sundram, can match.

Long after he hung up his playing boots, he continues to attract interest from fans and players who want to know what he is up to. In him, we have one of Singapre’s few genuine world-class footballers, and to this day, every emerging young talent is touted as “the next Fandi Ahmad”.

This is the solution that is so glaringly obvious that we must now hope for two things to happen after this weekend: That Fandi will apply for the job and, that he and the FAS can agree on terms and work together — for the sake of Singapore football.