Saifullah Akbar

Saifullah Akbar is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays for Tampines Rovers FC.

Saifullah Akbar
Personal information
Full name Muhammad Saifullah bin Mohammad Akbar[1]
Date of birth (1999-01-31) January 31, 1999
Place of birth Singapore
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Home United FC
Number 43[2]
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 6 (1)
National team‡
2016-2017 Singapore U19 4 (1)
2019 Singapore U22 2 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 Feb 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 Feb 2021

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]

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 Trail 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

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][15]

Career statistics

Club
As of 5 Dec 2020.[16]
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 1000520062
Total 1000520062
Young Lions FC 2018 Singapore Premier League 3000000030
2019 Singapore Premier League 213000000213
Total 243000000243
Lion City Sailors 2020 Singapore Premier League 112000000112
2021 Singapore Premier League 0000000000
Total 112000000112
Career total 365005200417
Notes

    International Statistics

    U23 International caps
    NoDateVenueOpponentResultCompetition
    126 March 2019MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Mongolia3-1 (won)2020 AFC U-23 Championship qualification
    25 December 2019Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines Brunei7-0 (won)2019 Southeast Asian Games

    U23 International goals
    As of match played 8 June 2019.
    No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
    1.5 December 2019Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines Brunei
    3–0
    7-0
    		2019 Southeast Asian Games

    U19 International caps
    NoDateVenueOpponentResultCompetition
    117 September 2016Vietnam Youth Training Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam Philippines2-1 (won)2016 AFF U-19 Youth Championship
    219 September 2016Vietnam Youth Training Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam Timor-Leste0-2 (lost)2016 AFF U-19 Youth Championship
    34 November 2017MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Thailand1-3 (lost)2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualification
    48 November 2017MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Mongolia2-4 (lost)2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualification

    U19 goals
    Scores and results list Singapore's goal tally first.[17]
    No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
    1.8 September 2017Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar Laos
    2–0
    3-0
    		2017 AFF U-18 Youth Championship

    Personal life

    Saifullah's father is Akbar Nawas who helped him volunteer for early national service enlistment.[18] As a hobby, he plays guitar and sings and supports Chelsea.[19]

    Honours

    International

    Singapore U22

    References
    2. "Saifullah Akbar". 31 January 1999.
    3. "Saifullah Akbar joins Young Lions with Tenerife move on hold till 2020". FoxSport.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
    4. "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.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.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. "The Young Gun – Saifullah Akbar, Tampines Rovers". Fourfourtwo.com. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
    16. Saifullah Akbar at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
    17. "Mahler, Jacob". National Football Teams. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
    18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-05. Retrieved 2017-07-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    19. "The Boy's a Bit Special: Saifullah Akbar". Fourfourtwo.com. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
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