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
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Tampines Rovers
Number 20
Youth career
–2016 Tampines Rovers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 Tampines Rovers 1 (0)
2018-2019 Young Lions 24 (3)
2020–2022 Lion City Sailors 47 (7)
2023– Tampines Rovers 21 (1)
International career‡
2016–2017 Singapore U19[1][2] 4 (2)
2019– Singapore U23 10 (2)
2021– Singapore 5 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Singapore
Merlion Cup
Winner2019 Singapore
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 February 2021
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 December 2021

Muhammad Saifullah bin Mohammad Akbar (born 31 January 1999) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a attacking midfielder for Tampines Rovers 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] Saifullah participated in the Lion City Cup with Ikhsan Fandi playing for the NFA U-16.[6]

Trialing with Newcastle Jets in 2015, their assistant coach indicated that they were interested in a youth team deal with the youngster.[7] However, Saifullah 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 England club, Queens Park Rangers along with three other Singaporean teenagers that lasted for five days.[9][10][11] Also, he had a two-week stint at FC Metz, funded by the Singapore Sport School.[12][13]

On his first-team debut, Saifullah scored a goal to secure a 6–4 win over Hougang United in the Singapore League Cup.[4][14] 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.[15]

Young Lions

Saifullah joined Young Lions after his national service and played the out the remainder of the 2018 campaign. While on trial at Spanish club, CD Tenerife, he did enough to be offered a contract with the club's B team, however he chose to remain with Young Lions for the 2019 Singapore Premier League season due to developmental reasons.[15] 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

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

Career statistics

Club

As of 25 October 2022[18]
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 204000000204
2022 Singapore Premier League 161000000161
Total 477000000477
Tampines Rovers 2023 Singapore Premier League 211710010292
Total 211710010292
Career total 931171521010614
Notes

    International

    Appearances and goals by national team and year
    National teamYearAppsGoals
    Singapore 202150
    Total50

    U23 International goals

    As of match played 8 June 2019.
    No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
    15 December 2019Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines Brunei
    3–0
    7–0
    		2019 Southeast Asian Games
    211 May 2022Thiên Trường Stadium, Nam Định, Vietnam Cambodia
    1–0
    1–0
    		2021 Southeast Asian Games

    U19 International goals

    Scores and results list Singapore's goal tally first.[19]
    No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
    14 September 2017Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar Laos
    2–0
    3-0
    		2017 AFF U-18 Youth Championship
    28 November 2017MFF 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.[20] As a hobby, he plays guitar and sings and supports Chelsea.[21]

    Honours

    International

    Singapore U22

    Individual

    References

    1. 1 2 3 "Singapore Under-19 to play Bahrain friendlies". Goal.com. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    2. 1 2 "Saifullah hoping for Young Lions' boost against Bahrain". Fourfourtwo.com. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    3. 1 2 3 "Saifullah Akbar joins Young Lions with Tenerife move on hold till 2020". FoxSport.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    4. 1 2 "Saifullah vows to fight on after 'dream debut'". 16 July 2016.
    5. ↑ "Lion City Cup". Facebook.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    6. ↑ "Football: Saifullah Akbar, Ikhsan Fandi keen to show calibre at Lion City Cup". Straitstimes.com. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    7. ↑ "Football: Saifullah on a League club Newcastle Jets' radar, AsiaOne News". Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    8. ↑ "No Jets deal for Singapore starlet". Fourfourtwo.com. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    9. ↑ "Off to London, to train with QPR - The Football Association of Singapore". Fas.org.sg. Archived from the original on 29 September 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    10. ↑ "QPR, Day 5 + Saifullah Akbar's thoughts - The Football Association of Singapore". Fas.org.sg. Archived from the original on 30 March 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    11. ↑ "QPR stint a boon for Singapore foursome, News - AsiaOne". April 2014. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    12. ↑ "Saifullah's raring to go". TODAY. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
    13. ↑ Aziz, Sazali Abdul (1 November 2015). "Dollah Kassim Award: Saifullah targets stint in Europe". The New Paper. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
    14. ↑ "2016 League Cup: Young Player of the Tournament". FourFourTwo.com. 31 July 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    15. 1 2 "The Young Gun – Saifullah Akbar, Tampines Rovers". Fourfourtwo.com. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    16. ↑ "Tatsuma names Lions squad for remaining World Cup qualifiers in June - Football Association of Singapore". Retrieved 30 July 2021.
    17. ↑ "Lions fall to defeat against Palestine - Football Association of Singapore". Retrieved 30 July 2021.
    18. ↑ Saifullah Akbar at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
    19. ↑ "Mahler, Jacob". National Football Teams. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
    20. ↑ "Football: Saifullah's got what it takes, AsiaOne News". 17 March 2015. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    21. ↑ "The Boy's a Bit Special: Saifullah Akbar". Fourfourtwo.com. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    22. ↑ "Gabriel Quak named SPL Player of the Year at FAS Awards Night 2020 - Football Association of Singapore". spl.sg.
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