Saifullah Akbar

Saifullah Akbar
Personal information
Full name Muhammad Saifullah bin Mohammad Akbar[1]
Date of birth (1999-01-31) January 31, 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Singapore
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Forward, 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 SIN
Merlion CupGold
*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 Muhammad Akbar (born 31 January 1999) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a forward or 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 footballer ever since childhood,[3][4][5] Saifullah participated in the Lion City Cup with Ikhsan Fandi playing for the NFA U-16.[6]

Saifullah trained with Australian side Newcastle Jets in 2015, impressing their coaching staff.[7] However, no deal was surfaced.[8] Previously, he had a five-day training stint with Queens Park Rangers in England.[9][10][11] Also, he had a two-week stint at FC Metz, funded by the Singapore Sport School.[12][13]

On his debut, Saifullah scored a goal to secure a 6–4 win for Tampines Rovers over Hougang United in the Singapore League Cup.[4][14] After training daily with the 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]

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 on the wing under Fandi Ahmad.

International career

Saifullah represented Singapore at the 2013 Asian Youth Games in China.[3] In 2016, he was called up for the Singapore U19s against Bahrain.[1][2]

On 17 May 2021, Saifullah was called up to the Singaporean national team for the Asian World Cup qualifiers in June.[16] On 3 June, he made his senior debut in a defeat to Palestine, coming on as a substitute 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 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 16 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 1
Total 47 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 47 7
Tampines Rovers 2023 Singapore Premier League 21 1 7 1 0 0 1 0 29 2
2024–25 Singapore Premier League 15 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 17 0
Total 36 1 7 1 0 0 3 0 46 2
Career total 108 11 7 1 5 2 3 0 123 14
Notes

International

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

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
2 11 May 2022 Thiên 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. 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.[20] As a hobby, he plays guitar and sings and supports Chelsea.[21]

Honours

International

Singapore U22

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b c "Singapore Under-19 to play Bahrain friendlies". Goal.com. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Saifullah hoping for Young Lions' boost against Bahrain". Fourfourtwo.com. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Saifullah Akbar joins Young Lions with Tenerife move on hold till 2020". FoxSport.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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.