Return of the 'Singapore Beckham' Abbas Saad
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FOCUS ON ASIA
Return of the 'Singapore Beckham'
Forget Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell or Mark Viduka. For long-time Singapore fans, their favourite all-time Australian player could only be one man: Abbas Saad.
'Abbas who?' you might ask. Well, he's a relatively obscure attacking midfielder and forward, who never played in Europe, but strikes the deepest chord within the island's footballing fraternity, courtesy of a golden spell in the early to mid-1990s.
The Lebanese-born, Sydney-raised Saad is remembered as one of the Singapore heroes when they won the Premier League and Malaysia Cup double in the days before the S-League when a united Singaporean team, consisting of locals and imports, played against Malaysian state sides.
He scored a hat-trick as Singapore crushed Pahang 4-0 in the 1994 Malaysia Cup final.
"Abbas was a glamour boy, the Beckham of Singapore," said former Singapore international R. Sasikumar, of sports marketing company The Red Card. "He was one of the best players we ever had and a loveable character off the field."
But, in 1995, Saad would go from hero to villain after being convicted of match-fixing. He denied the charges and said that he never received any money. But after being found guilty of helping teammate Michael Vana fix games in the FAM Premier League, he was banned and fined S$50,000.
By agreeing to score goals to help Singapore win, Saad says he was unwittingly implicated in the scandal. His global suspension was lifted the following year and he would leave Singapore to resume his career in Australia's National Soccer League (NSL). But it was only a couple of months ago that Saad's 14-year Singapore ban was finally revoked. Now, at the age of 41, he's making an emotional return to the island state to play in an exhibition match.
Abbas Saad: the 'Singapore Beckham' ?
This Sunday, May 31st, Saad will join former teammates including Singapore legends Fandi Ahmad and V. Sundramoorthy in an All-Star side, which will play a curtain raiser to a game involving S-League side, Tampines Rovers and visiting A-League outfit, North Queensland Fury - whose star import is ex-Liverpool striker, Robbie Fowler.
For Saad - whose varied football roles include coaching director for New South Wales state league club, Sydney Olympic, as well as coach of Deaf Football Australia - the visit is part nostalgia, part healing, part redemption.
During his latest trip to Singapore, he's also completing his 'A' coaching license. With a ban no longer hanging over him, Saad is free to pursue managerial positions in Singapore's S-League or in Malaysia where he won the League and Cup double with Johor in 1991.
Malaysia-based former Socceroo Scott Ollerenshaw, who played against Saad in the Malaysia Cup in the mid-1990s, described his former rival as "technically one of the best players I have ever seen" and "a superstar" in the region.
"He played in the days before ESPN and the local market wasn't saturated with English football as it is today," Ollerenshaw said. "He was a big star in Singapore and even owned his own nightclub but then he had to go back to Australia where he had to get used to being a normal person again."
Post-Asia, Saad played in the old NSL with Sydney Olympic, Sydney United and Northern Spirit. He also made more Socceroo appearances - he won four full caps in all - when Terry Venables called him into the national team in 1998.
But his years in Southeast Asia - from 1990 to 1995 - are still remembered as the highpoint of his colourful career. Back on Singapore soil, the charismatic Saad - "he's still a showman", says R.Sasikumar - sat down with ESPNsoccernet ahead of his trip down memory lane.
Q: Abbas, what's it like to be back in Singapore and preparing for your first game here in 14 years?
A: It's great to step up and play with '94 Malaysia Cup team, especially the players with whom I have a very common bond for all those years and, of course, the fans who have given me wonderful support during and after football duties.
Q: How much do you think your conviction for match-fixing affected your reputation here?
A: Well, to be honest it never bothered me or any Singapore fan that I have run into over the past 14 years. Overall, as always, the fans and people's judgment of the incident and their reactions speak volumes of how they felt for me.
Q: Why do you think Singaporeans remember you so fondly?
A: The football fraternity of Singapore are second to none with their support for the team and especially for me. I think we connected due to the fact that they loved the way I played and the attitude I played with. That's why they still recognise my achievements and embrace me as one of their own.
Q: You've always maintained your innocence from the match-fixing charges but what did you learn from the whole episode?
A: Yes, until today my feelings are the same. It has taught me the hard way I suppose to never ever put too much trust in people and never talk without reservation on certain topics which others will misinterpret in a sinister way which can come back to bite you.
Q: How hard was it to resume your career after the worldwide suspension and what does it mean to you to finally have the Singapore ban lifted after 14 years?
A: The satisfaction and relief have followed all the adversity that has dogged me for 14 years. It will enable me to pursue my love of coaching to another level which I'm hoping will attract clubs and countries of football to me. I know the ban had limitations for me but now it's all systems go and I hope someone will take me for my experience and knowledge of Asian football, which is second to none.
Q: So how might your experience playing in Asia help Australian football integrate into the region?
A: I was the first Aussie to play in Asia and be successful in the region for a long period which ultimately paved the way to the influx of players from Australia. Obviously, these events have opened the relationship and a more mutual respect towards the respective federations that have been missing over the last 20 odd years, into a reality.
Q: What are your favourite football memories - and your remaining ambitions in the game?
A: Firstly, playing for my country was the ultimate goal of achievements. Winning the Aussie championships with my first clubs - Sydney City and Sydney Olympic - as a pro player was awesome. Then, obviously my experience in the Malaysia Cup with Johor, winning the double and Golden Boot was incredible. But overall, I cherish the Malaysia Cup win with Singapore and playing with the best player I have ever played with in Fandi Ahmad which was the ultimate dream.
I hope all these happy and successful memories will rub off onto my coaching career and help develop and inspire all footballers playing their trade in the Asia Pacific.
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Abbas!!!
will lim tong hai and steven lim play tmr??
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Australia’s newest team in their domestic A-League, The North Queensland Fury, is set to play the Tampines Rovers at Jalan Besar Stadium come the end of May. The Townsville based club are making their debut in the A-League this year and are embarking on a tour of Sabah and Singapore in preparation for their debut season. The club coached by former Glasgow Rangers and Scotland player, Ian Ferguson counts among its players former Liverpool goal scorer Robbie Fowler.
Robbie Fowler was part of the Liverpool team that last visited Singapore in 2001. He is also the only overseas Marquee player in the Australian A-League for the upcoming season, which has seen the likes of Romario, Dwight Yorke and Juninho show their skills in previous years.The match, organized by local sports marketing company The Red Card Pte Ltd is headed by former Singapore football international R. Sasikumar. Sasikumar sees this as a great opportunity for all football fans to experience high quality football outside of the English Premier League and commented, “To have a quality player such as Robbie Fowler with a competitive team such as the North Queensland Fury on home turf is good for both Singapore Football, and all football fans. We at Red Card have organized fringe events that will add to the excitement of the game, and contribute the overall passion for the game of football.”
It would be a definite treat for Singaporean Liverpool Fans and Football fans in general to see the North Queensland Fury in action in their first ever overseas tour to South East Asia.
Coach Ian Ferguson added, “The upcoming game against the Rovers will definitely warm the boys up for our 09-10 league back home. The boys are ready and we are looking forward to an exciting match against Singapore. Fans will surely not be disappointed.”![[newacademy.jpg]](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Hc_jNK5RTKM/ShekJg7ZxII/AAAAAAAAC-A/-R_yCDZ3fvU/s1600/newacademy.jpg)
Another key highlight is a charity curtain raiser that will be played before the main event which will see the legendary Singapore ‘Dream Team’ of the 90s make a return on the pitch after 14 years. The team will also feature prolific goal scorer Abbas Saad who will make his appearance after a decade away from the football scene, who will once again team up with former captain Fandi Ahmad and midfield dynamo Malek Awab. They will go up against a local Celebrity team including singer-rapper Sheikh Haikel and radio Deejays Glenn Ong and Rod Monterio. The adopted charity for the “Dream Team” is the CARE United program which is S-League’s unique charity and community programme, designed to enrich the lives of the less fortunate through football. The programme is seeks to benefit three key areas, namely less fortunate children with a love for football, the elderly who are active at heart and the Development of Women’s Football in Singapore.
Ticketing DetailsTickets for the match are priced at
1. SGD25 for Grandstand seats
2. SGD15 for Gallery
3. SGD5 for children below 12yrs
and will be available for sale at Jalan Besar Stadium on match day itself. Online ticketing also available at www.redcard.tv . For enquiries on VIP hospitality, gala dinner and ticketing, please email [email protected] or call (+65) 6304 3167. -
I think more people will turn up to see Abbas Saad rather than Robbie Fowler...
The Malay, The Chinese, The Indian and maybe some of The Ang Mo ladies will be there to cheer Abbas... lol
I guess you can say he was the closest Sg ever had to a David... 'The Singapore Beckham'
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I heard ex-Liverpool striker, Robbie Fowler didn't turn up for the match don't know true or not... So true, can those fans who bought tickets get their money back?
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Tampines Rovers won.
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Fury gain experience in Singapore friendly
A 1-nil loss wasn't the result North Queensland Fury FC wanted from its friendly against Tampines Rovers in Singapore, but coach Ian Ferguson said the team's first ever match provided him with a starting point for he fledgling Hyunai A-League team.
"It was our first game and I was very pleased with the way the boys played in the first half," Ferguson said.
"We moved the ball about well and had some half chances and being our first game you could see we were a little bit sluggish."
"But I'm reasonably happy ... we got a good hit out from it."
The half chances included a penalty shot from Brendon Santalab which failed to find the net and a sharp cross which trialist Ramone Close headed towards goal, only to have the attempt snatched in by the Tampines keeper.
The Rovers scored through Fathi Yunus in the 76th minute after a send off left them down to 10 men.
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Wah lau... Tampines Rovers also cannot win... No need to go Sabah liao lah...
In the other match, I heard V. Sundramoorthy scored and out performed Fandi Ahmad again... lol
One more for Sundram...