Irfan Fandi facts for kids
Irfan playing for Singapore in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Irfan bin Fandi Ahmad | ||
| Date of birth | 13 August 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Singapore | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Port | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2013 | National Football Academy | ||
| 2013 | Hércules | ||
| 2014 | Barnechea | ||
| 2014–2015 | Universidad Católica | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2015 | Universidad Católica | 1 | (0) |
| 2015 | Young Lions | 9 | (2) |
| 2016–2017 | Home United | 25 | (6) |
| 2018 | Young Lions | 18 | (2) |
| 2019–2024 | BG Pathum United | 97 | (8) |
| 2024– | Port | 7 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2015–2019 | Singapore U22 | 7 | (1) |
| 2014–2019 | Singapore U23 | 32 | (8) |
| 2016– | Singapore | 48 | (2) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Irfan bin Fandi Ahmad (born 13 August 1997), known as Irfan Fandi, is a professional footballer from Singapore. He plays as a centre-back for the Thai club Port and the Singapore national team.
When he first started, Irfan played as a striker or winger. Later, he changed to play as a centre-back. In 2013, he was named one of the top young football stars in Southeast Asia by Goal.com. The next year, The Guardian newspaper also listed him as one of the top 40 best young talents in world football.
Irfan started his football journey in Singapore's National Football Academy (NFA). He then had trials with different clubs overseas. At 18, he made his professional debut in Chile for Universidad Católica in 2015. He later returned to Singapore to play for local clubs like Young Lions and Home United. He also had trials with clubs in the Netherlands and Portugal.
In 2018, Irfan joined BG Pathum United in Thailand. He helped his team get promoted back to the top league, Thai League 1, in 2019. In the 2021–22 Thai League 1 season, his club became champions of Thailand. Irfan was the first Singaporean to win this top league title. He was a key player in their defense, helping the team lose only one game and concede very few goals that season.
Irfan first played for the Singapore national team in 2016. By 2022, he had played 38 games for his country. He has played in important tournaments like the AFF Championship in 2018 and 2020.
Contents
About Irfan's Early Life and Family
Irfan Fandi was born in Singapore on 13 August 1997. He is the oldest son of Fandi Ahmad, a famous Singaporean football legend, and Wendy Jacobs, a former model from South Africa.
Irfan has four siblings. His younger brothers, Ikhsan and Ilhan, also play football for BG Pathum United. His brother Iryan plays for Hougang United. His sister's name is Iman. Irfan's grandfather, Ahmad Wartam, was also a national goalkeeper.
Irfan's Club Football Journey
Starting in Youth Football
Irfan began his football career in the youth system at the National Football Academy (NFA) in Singapore.
In 2013, Irfan had a chance to play overseas with Hércules, a Spanish club. However, he could not get a contract because of visa problems. He then joined a Chilean club called Barnechea.
Playing for Universidad Católica
In 2014, Irfan joined Universidad Católica, another top club in Chile. He played his first senior game for them in 2015. He came on as a substitute when his team was winning 4-0. Even though the club offered him a two-year contract, Irfan decided to return to Singapore. He needed to complete his National Service (NS).
Time with Young Lions
On 5 March 2015, Irfan joined S.League club Young Lions for six months. He started his first game for them right away because another player was injured.
Playing for Home United
In January 2016, Irfan signed a two-year contract with Home United in Singapore. His brother, Ikhsan, also joined the club. Irfan scored two goals in only his second game for the season. He had been away for much of the season due to his National Service duties.
In March 2017, the sports brand Puma signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Irfan. His old Chilean club, Club Deportivo Universidad Católica, was also reportedly interested in signing him again after he finished his National Service.
Irfan scored his first goal in the 2017 S.League season in a 2–0 win. He also scored his first goal in an Asian club competition, the 2017 AFC Cup. His good performances caught the eye of BG Pathum United from Thailand. He also had a trial with the English club Leeds United in December 2017.
Back with Young Lions
In January 2018, Irfan rejoined Young Lions after finishing his National Service. This was for the first 2018 Singapore Premier League season.
Trials in Europe
In February 2018, Irfan and his brother Ikhsan went for trials at Groningen in the Netherlands. Their father, Fandi Ahmad, used to play for this club. Irfan also had a trial with Braga, a top club in Portugal. Braga offered him a two-year deal, but Irfan turned it down. He felt lonely and homesick during his time there. He also mentioned a very high fee he would have to pay if he left the club early. Irfan then rejoined Young Lions and played 22 games, scoring 3 goals.
Joining BG Pathum United
On 11 November 2018, it was confirmed that Irfan would join BG Pathum United in Thailand. He joined them even though they had been relegated to the second division. On 7 April 2019, he scored his first two goals for the club in a big 6–1 win. He scored another two goals against the same team later that season. In his first season, Irfan helped BG Pathum United win the Thai League 2 title and get promoted back to the top league, Thai League 1.
Interest from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
In December 2021, Jeonbuk Hyundai, a top club from South Korea, showed interest in Irfan. This happened after Irfan played well against them in the AFC Champions League. BG Pathum United's chairman asked for a high transfer fee for Irfan. Irfan said he respected his club's decision, as he had grown a lot there.
Winning the Thai League 1
On 15 February 2020, Irfan was sent off in his first top-flight game in Thailand. But his team still won the game 2–1.
The next season, Irfan became the first Singaporean to win the Thai League 1 title. His club, BG Pathum United, won the league with many games to spare. Irfan was a key player in their defense. The team only let in 11 goals in 24 matches and kept 15 clean sheets.
Irfan won his fourth trophy with BG Pathum, the 2022 Thailand Champions Cup. He also helped his team reach the quarter-finals of the 2022 AFC Champions League for the first time. Irfan played the whole game in the quarter-final match. He and his brother Ikhsan were the first Singaporeans to reach this stage of the AFC Champions League.
On 22 August 2023, Irfan played a full match as BG Pathum won 3–2 against Shanghai Port. This win helped them qualify for the group stage of the 2023–24 AFC Champions League. On 10 February 2024, Irfan returned to play after being injured for six months. He scored a goal to help his team draw 1–1. On 16 June 2024, Irfan won his fifth trophy with the club, the 2023–24 Thai League Cup.
Moving to Port F.C.
After playing for BG Pathum United for five seasons, Irfan signed with another Thai club, Port, on 17 June 2024. He made his debut for Port on 10 August in a 3–1 away win. In an Asian club game against Persib Bandung, Irfan played strongly in defense, helping his team win 1–0.
Playing for His Country
Youth National Teams
Irfan played for the Singapore U16 team in the 2013 Lion City Cup. He impressed against youth teams from Arsenal and Eintracht Frankfurt. He made his debut for the Singapore U23 team on 14 February 2015. He was chosen to play in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games.
Senior National Team
In September 2016, Irfan was called up to the senior national team for friendly matches. He made his debut for Singapore against Hong Kong. He later got his first start against Bahrain in a qualification match for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Singapore drew that game 0-0.
Irfan also played in the 2018 AFF Championship, making his debut in a 1–0 win over Indonesia.
In 2021, Irfan, along with his brothers Ikhsan and Ilhan, were all called up to the national team. This was the first time all three Fandi brothers were in the squad together.
On 25 December 2021, in a semi-final match against Indonesia, Irfan was sent off.
On 26 March 2022, Irfan played alongside his younger brothers Ikhsan and Ilhan against Malaysia. This was a historic moment, as it was the first time three brothers played together for the Singapore national team. Singapore won the game 2–1.
On 27 December 2022, Irfan scored his second goal for Singapore against Laos with a diving header in the 2022 AFF Championship.
Irfan's Personal Life
Irfan went to the Singapore Sports School in Woodlands.
Irfan and his brother Ikhsan completed their National Service (NS) with the Singapore Police Force (SPF). During their NS, they were still able to train and play professional football. This was possible through a special Sportsmen Scheme that helps athletes balance their sports careers with their NS duties.
Career Statistics for Clubs
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Asia | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Young Lions | 2015 | S.League | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 2 | ||
| Home United | 2016 | S.League | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2017 | S.League | 17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | 26 | 5 | ||
| Total | 25 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | 34 | 7 | |||
| Young Lions | 2018 | Singapore Premier League | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 2 | ||
| BG Pathum United | 2019 | Thai League 2 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | 32 | 6 | |
| 2020–21 | Thai League 1 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | Thai League 1 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |
| 2022–23 | Thai League 1 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 2 | |
| 2023–24 | Thai League 1 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| Total | 97 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 124 | 11 | ||
| Port | 2024–25 | Thai League 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Career total | 153 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 17 | 1 | 174 | 22 | ||
International Statistics
National Team Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 48 | 2 | |
International Goals for Singapore
- Scores and results list Singapore's goal tally first.
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 October 2017 | Köpetdag Stadium, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan |  Turkmenistan |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| 2 | 27 December 2022 | New Laos National Stadium, Vientiane, Laos |  Laos |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 AFF Championship |
International U23 Goals
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 February 2015 | Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore |  Syria |
1–2 | U23 International Friendly |
| 2 | 14 February 2015 | Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore |  Japan |
1–8 | U23 International Friendly |
| 3 | 31 March 2015 | New Laos National Stadium, Laos |  Mongolia |
2–2 | 2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualification |
| 4 | 31 March 2015 | New Laos National Stadium, Laos | Mongolia |
2–2 | 2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualification |
| 5 | 23 May 2015 | Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore | Laos |
5–1 | U23 International Friendly |
| 6 | 29 May 2015 | Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore |  East Timor |
2–0 | U23 International Friendly |
| 7 | 20 June 2018 | National Stadium, Singapore |  Myanmar |
0–2 | Friendly |
| 8 | 26 March 2019 | MFF Football Centre, Mongolia | Mongolia |
3–1 | 2020 AFC U-23 Championship qualification |
| 9 | 5 December 2019 | Rizal Memorial Stadium, Philippines |  Brunei |
7-0 | 2019 Southeast Asian Games |
Football Achievements
Club Honours
With BG Pathum United
- Thai League 1 (1): 2020–21
- Thai League 2 (1): 2019
- Thailand Champions Cup (2): 2021, 2022
- Thai League Cup (1): 2023–24
International Honours
With Singapore U-22
- Merlion Cup (1): 2019
Individual Awards
- Thai League Dream ASEAN XI
