Singapore Armed Forces FC

SAFFC
Full name	Singapore Armed Forces Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Warriors; The Singapore Rhino
Founded	1975
Ground	Choa Chu Kang Stadium; Choa Chu Kang, Singapore; (Capacity: 4,000)
Chairman	Lam Shiu Tong
Head Coach	Richard Bok
League	S.League
2011	3rd
Home colours	Away colours

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The Singapore Armed Forces Football Club (SAFFC) is a professional football club that represents the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and plays in the top-tier S.League. Singapore Armed Forces Football Club was officially established on 16 February 1996. Despite their name, membership of the armed forces is not a prerequisite for representing the team, and several international players have played for them.

Using a rhino as club mascot was their second suggestion after the S.League rejected their initial proposal of having a warrior as being out of line with the policy of clubs having animal mascots. ^[1]

SAFFC is currently the most successful club in the history of the S.League, having won the title a record eight times: in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009^[2] and finishing second in 4 seasons: 1996, 1999, 2001, 2005. In the 15 years since the inception of the S.League, SAFFC have only finished outside the top two in 2003, 2004 and 2010.^[3]

The Warriors was based in Jurong Stadium till 2000 before moving to their current home ground Choa Chu Kang Stadium in 2001.

[edit] History

[edit] 1975 - 1996: SAFSA

The club has its roots in the Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association (SAFSA) football team formed in 1975 to provide talented footballers serving National Service with opportunities to play competitive football. That year, they won the President's Cup, a feat they repeated in 1978, when they also captured the National Football League title to complete The Double. Their Under-19 team won the national Under-19 title in 1979, 1980 and 1983, while the 1981 season of the National Football League saw the SAFSA football team emerge as champions without losing a game. The President's Cup was captured again in 1984 and 1986, the latter time as part of a second Double, as they also won the National Football League on goal difference. In 1990, the Pools Cup went to the SAFSA football team and their convincing displays led to their selection as one of eight clubs to compete in the newly-formed S.League.^[4]

The Warriors' entry into the S.League in 1996 also resulted in the withdrawal of SAFSA from the NFL. SAFSA would not participate in the local football leagues again till 1999, when they rejoined the National Football League.

[edit] 1996 - 1999: Early S.League

SAFFC continued their domination of the league where SAFSA left off, finishing second in 1996, 1999 and winning it in 1997 and 1998.

[edit] 2000 - 2003: Fandi Ahmad

Former Singapore international Fandi Ahmad took over from Mladen Pralija in 1999.

[edit] 2003 - 2005: Instability

Three coaches were at the reins during this period, each lasting only one season. SAFFC finished second in 2005 but otherwise outside the top two.

[edit] 2006 - Present: Richard Bok

Richard Bok took over as club head coach in 2006.

In 2008, SAFFC became the first Singapore club to achieve the "double" back-to-back, after winning both the S.League and the Singapore Cup in 2007 and 2008.

The following year, SAFFC qualified for the group stages of the prestigious Asian Champions League, marking the first time since 2002 that a Singapore club played in top-level Asian competition. They defeated PEA FC of Thailand and PSMS Medan of Indonesia in the regional qualification playoffs.

SAFFC were drawn in a group with J.League champions Kashima Antlers, K.League champions Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Chinese Super League runners-up Shanghai Shenhua, and despite being confirmed as the group losers after a 5–0 loss to Kashima Antlers in Japan, they managed to win their first ever point in the competition with a 1–1 draw against Shanghai Shenhua at home.

[edit] Players

[edit] Current Squad

As of 24 January 2012

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	Hassan Sunny
3	DF	Zulfadli Zainal Abidin
4	DF	Razaleigh Khalik
5	DF	Noh Rahman
6	DF	Bah Mamadou
7	MF	Tatsuro Inui
8	MF	Shimpei Sakurada
9	FW	Mislav Karoglan
10	FW	Fazrul Nawaz

No.	Position	Player
11	MF	Seiji Saito
12	MF	Ruzaini Zainal
13	FW	Erwan Gunawan
14	GK	Shahril Jantan (team captain)
15	MF	Shukor Zailan
16	DF	Daniel Bennett
19	FW	Hafsyar Farkhan
21	DF	Eddie Chang
23	MF	Matthew Abraham

[edit] Prime League Players

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Position	Player
21	DF	Zulfadli Zainal Abidin
22	MF	Radin Abdullah Syaafii
23	DF	Azhar Ahmad
24	MF	Fadzil Nasir
25	DF	Matthew Abraham
26	FW	Hafsyar Farkhan
27	GK	Shaiful Reezal Tajri
28	MF	Afiq Mat Noor
29	MF	Hanafi Salleh
30	DF	Faris Haziq

No.	Position	Player
31	DF	Nasir Ali
32	DF	Vincent Lee
33	MF	Junaidy Salleh
34	DF	Bharath Ravindren
35	FW	Mohamed Riswan Ebnu
36	DF	Zahrul Bahri
37	FW	Moawia Omer
38	FW	Raden Ishmadi
39	DF	Firdaus Ali
40	GK	Zainol Gulam