SINGAPORE – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is on the hunt for a new general secretary after it announced on July 5 that Yazeen Buhari will step down from his role on Sept 30 after more than six years at the helm.
The general secretary is the top official in the FAS secretariat and Yazeen, 46, was the first major hire by the council – led by former president, the late Lim Kia Tong – elected in April 2017.
Yazeen, whose family is based in Malaysia, said in a press statement: “It has been a privilege to helm this organisation, given the magnitude and importance that this role holds. But after being away from the family for seven years, I have made the difficult decision to leave the organisation.
“I believe it’s also the right time for the administration to undergo a leadership change. There are many initiatives that have started to take shape in the past two years, and with the support shown by all stakeholders, I am confident these plans will go on to reach their desired outcomes.”
He also expressed his gratitude to current and previous council members, clubs, government partners, fans, volunteers, players and colleagues for their support.
Yazeen, a former referee, previously held various posts in sports.
He was formerly Singapore Athletics’ general manager, an assistant director at Sport Singapore and FAS head of development and planning, before joining the Asian Football Confederation to lead its planning and strategy department.
In August 2017, he returned to the FAS as its deputy general secretary before taking on his current position in September 2018 after his predecessor Winston Lee resigned.
The FAS said in a press statement that Yazeen played a pivotal role in guiding the association in launching several developments in local football, including the 2018 rebranding of the Singapore Premier League, the Unleash the Roar! (UTR) national project in 2021 and the implementation of the league’s video assistant referee system.
He was also instrumental in its quick response to support the football fraternity during the Covid-19 pandemic, and also oversaw an increase in investment in women’s football, added FAS.
FAS president Bernard Tan noted that Yazeen “has been a dedicated leader within the organisation and his departure is a great loss to Singapore football”.
“However, we respect his desire to prioritise his family after seven years with the FAS, and wish him all the best in his future endeavours,” he added.
Former national defender Baihakki Khaizan, who retired in 2022 to take up an administrative role at the FAS, where he is now head of planning and special projects, said he is grateful to Yazeen for teaching him about football administration.
Calling him an “assertive leader”, Baihakki added: “He had the confidence in me to allow me to explore projects and implement plans to improve Singapore football.”
With the FAS on the hunt for a new leader, former council member Yakob Hashim (2017 to 2021) hopes that the next hire is “someone who has the technical knowledge but at the same time is a strong leader”.
Giving Yazeen a four-out-of-10 rating, the former national goalkeeper added: “He has a part to play in our failures. From the hiring of technical staff, coaches and staff, there have not been many correct decisions made if you look at the results. Just look at where we stand in football today.”
Singapore football has been in the doldrums in the last decade. At the 2023 SEA Games, the national Under-22 side exited the competition at the group stage for a fifth consecutive time after finishing bottom of Group B with no wins from four matches. A 7-0 thumping at the hands of Malaysia gave Singapore their worst defeat at the Games since 1971 and sparked furore among fans.
At the senior level, four-time Asean champions Singapore have fallen behind the likes of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia in recent times. Since their last Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship triumph in 2012, the Lions have exited the group stage in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2022.
With a new national coach Tsutomu Ogura in charge, the Lions recently finished bottom of Group C among South Korea, China and Thailand in the second round of Asia’s World Cup qualifiers with one draw and five losses.
They will face their next test at the AFF Championship from Nov 23 to Dec 21.
