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Fandi Ahmad (front row, second from left) looking right at home in a FC Groningen team poster. -- PHOTO: COURTESY OF GRONINGEN FC
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Their father was the first Singapore footballer to stamp his mark on Europe.
Now, two of Fandi Ahmad's sons are set to retrace his famous footsteps - although at a much younger age.
Irfan, 10, and Ikhsan, eight - Fandi's elder sons - have been invited by Spanish club Valencia for a stint with their academy team next weekend.
This, after the boys received glowing reviews from European club scouts and coaches after they impressed at AC Milan's junior football camp in Malaga, Spain, last week.
Despite training and playing alongside European boys - some older and physically bigger - the two Singaporeans stood out, said the Milan camp director Daniele Paccagnan.
'Irfan and Ikhsan are good talents,' he said. 'We placed Irfan with the bigger boys and he did well considering the difference in size.
'Ikhsan was a real star against kids of his age from Italy and Spain.'
Both boys will be invited to Milan for another training camp in October, when they will represent the club's Spanish academy against the best players from Milan's academies worldwide.
Their trip to Spain was made possible by former national footballer R.Sasikumar, who sent videos of the boys in action to top European clubs.
Milan and Real Madrid were impressed by what they saw and invited them to attend their summer training camps for promising young talents.
The stint at Real fell through because of 'logistical reasons', said Sasikumar, the director of sports management agency, The Red Card.
But the Milan trip materialised. Sasikumar's company paid for the boys' travelling expenses and accommodation.
Like their father, Irfan and Ikhsan are attacking players.
Irfan, who will be 11 next month, is a fleet-footed forward blessed with great ball control skills for his age, said former national goalkeeper Yakob Hashim.
The former Home United Youth Academy staff coach worked with the two youngsters when they were at the S-League club.
Ikhsan, he said, is a natural goalscorer with a cool head and good technical skills.
The younger boy showed off his predatory instincts at the Milan camp, where he scored 10 goals in two matches, said Sasikumar.
He added that Irfan also stood out against boys who were two to three years older.
Their performances caught the eye of Spanish club scouts who were at the week-long camp.
As a result, Fandi's sons will be whisked off to Valencia to play two matches with the Spanish first division side's academy team.
The duo's European adventure will not end there.
The two, who are members of Arsenal's football school in Indonesia, will travel to London later this month to represent their academy in the English club's global Under-13 tournament.
Under Uefa rules, both boys cannot be signed by European clubs until they are at least 14.
But they are likely to be invited to attend the camps every year during their school holidays.
If all goes well, they could even emulate their father's achievements in time to come.
In 1983, a 21-year-old Fandi made history when he ventured to Holland to play for Dutch first division club FC Groningen, becoming the first Singaporean to ply his trade in Europe.
'They have better opportunities now than I ever had before,' said Fandi, who coaches Indonesia side Pelita Jaya.
Irfan and Ikhsan are the oldest of Fandi's five children.
Though he described the two as having been 'born to play football', he will not force them into becoming full-time players when they grow up.
'This trip is a good experience for them,' said Fandi. 'But whether or not they want to make a career out of football, I will leave it up to them.
'As a parent, I can only support them in whatever they do.'
tvoon@sph.com.sg
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