SINGAPORE, 5 JULY 2024 –The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced today that Yazeen Buhari will step down from his role as its General Secretary on 30 September 2024. Yazeen joined the FAS in 2017 after a stint in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
As the driving force in the FAS and Singapore Premier League (SPL) administration, Yazeen, a former FIFA international match official, played a pivotal role in guiding the organisation in launching several significant developments in Singapore football, including the 2018 rebrand of the SPL with AIA as a multi-year title sponsor, the Unleash the Roar! initiative that was launched in 2021 and the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in the SPL since 2023.
Yazeen was also instrumental in FAS responding quickly to support the football fraternity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The provision of relief grants through the reallocation of FAS’ resources aided in maintaining capabilities, safeguarding the livelihoods of administrators and professional footballers in the SPL, and ensuring the local football community remained active in a safe manner.
Together with former FAS President, the late Mr. Lim Kia Tong, he also played a key role in Singapore winning the right to host the biggest international sporting event since the pandemic’s outbreak and led the local organising committee of the month-long AFF Suzuki Cup in December 2021 that saw over 700 players and officials from Asean participate in the centralised competition.
Taking a keen interest in pushing for the women’s game in Singapore to be adequately supported, Yazeen oversaw the FAS’ significant increase in strategic investment in women’s football during his leadership. The securing of Deloitte in 2022 as the inaugural title sponsor of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) underpinned his commitment to further develop the ecosystem that would go on to provide opportunities for girls and women.
Ensuring the youth and grassroots fraternity are better positioned to complement elite pathways, the FAS, during Yazeen’s tenure, also introduced the Academy Accreditation System (AAS) and Training Compensation Scheme (TCS) in 2024 to incentivise academies that play crucial roles in players’ formative years.
Said Yazeen: “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. I would like to thank current and previous Council members for their support and confidence in me all these years, just as I am grateful to our member clubs, government partners, fans, volunteers, players and the media for their support towards Singapore football. Lastly, my appreciation to my colleagues in FAS who have constantly dedicated themselves to the national cause and have been a stellar group to be part of.”
Responding to Yazeen’s resignation, FAS President Bernard Tan said: “On behalf of the FAS Exco and Council, I would like to state our utmost gratitude for the work Yazeen has put in during his time as the General Secretary. 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 prioritise his family after seven years with the FAS, and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”
The FAS has begun the search for a successor, which will be announced in due course.
CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
