FAS general secretary Yazeen Buhari resigns from top post

SINGAPORE: The Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) general secretary Yazeen Buhari will step down from his post at the end of September after six years in the top post.

The search for his successor has also begun, said FAS in a statement on Friday (Jul 5) announcing his resignation.

“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," said Yazeen.

"I believe it’s also the right time for the administration to undergo a leadership change."

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Yazeen, 46, rose through ranks at FAS over two stints. 

Previously an assistant director at Sport Singapore (SportSG) and the general manager of Singapore Athletics, he assumed the role of head of development and planning at FAS, before leaving in late 2016 to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

But after less than a year at AFC, where he led its planning and strategy department, he returned to Singapore football as FAS deputy general secretary.

It marked the first major hire by the then new FAS council, whose office bearers were elected in April 2017.

At the start of 2018, he began assuming the duties of acting general secretary, before being confirmed in the role nine months later. 

In its statement, FAS credited Yazeen with playing a pivotal role in several significant developments in Singapore football. These include the Unleash the Roar! initiative launched in 2021 and the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in the Singapore Premier League in 2023.

Said Yazeen, a former referee: "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."

FAS president Bernard Tan expressed his gratitude to the outgoing general secretary, who will step down from his role on Sep 30.

Tan said: "He has been a dedicated leader within the organisation and his departure is a great loss to Singapore football."

"However, we respect his desire to rightfully prioritise his family after seven years with the FAS, and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

Singapore have been struggling on the international arena in recent years.

They have not made it past the group stage of the Southeast Asia Games since 2013. 

At the last edition in 2023, they failed to win a single match, and were beaten 7-0 by fierce rivals Malaysia in their final group outing. It was Singapore's heaviest defeat at the Games since the competition became an age-group affair in 2001.

At the most recent AFF Championship in 2022, the Lions failed to progress to the knockout round.

In January, FAS sacked men’s head coach Takayuki Nishigaya on the back of a string of dismal results, after losses to Thailand and South Korea left the Lions at the bottom of their World Cup qualifying group.