SINGAPORE – After capping his 20th birthday in style with three trophies, Singapore forward Ilhan Fandi is eyeing one last piece of silverware to wrap up a perfect year – the Singapore Cup.

And after he checks off the final wish, he wants to pursue his dream of playing overseas.

At the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Awards Night at Orchard Hotel on Tuesday, when his team swept the major prizes, Ilhan was honoured as the Singapore Premier League (SPL) Young Player of the Year, captured the Goal of the Year award and was also named in the SPL Team of the Year.

Ilhan pipped fellow nominees – teammate Kodai Tanaka and Balestier Khalsa’s Japanese forward Ryoya Taniguchi – to the Young Player of the Year gong after he finished the season as the highest local goalscorer to help Albirex Niigata win the SPL title.

He racked up 17 goals – these included two strikes for the Young Lions before he joined the White Swans in April.

Flashing his trademark cheeky grin, he admitted that it was his best birthday to date.

He said: “I feel really blessed to have won these awards and I could not have done it without my amazing team, support from family and friends, and everyone who has been there for me since day one. To do it in my first season with Albirex is special and to do it on my birthday is just crazy.”

Turning his attention to the Singapore Cup, where they face Hougang United in the semi-final, first leg on Friday, he added: “We can’t wait to play our semi-final and, hopefully, we can do the double. My first mission was to win the league and now I want the Cup.”

Ilhan is the first of local icon Fandi Ahmad’s sons to win an individual honour. In 2018, Ikhsan – who now plays for Thailand’s BG Pathum – had also been nominated for the Young Player of the Year and Goal of the Year awards, but did not win in either category.

On his plans after the season, Ilhan said that he had yet to make a decision but reiterated his desire for an overseas move, adding: “I want to try and play overseas and in a good league, carry the Singapore flag with me and make my family proud.

“It is every boy’s dream to play overseas. I want to explore and venture to other countries, outside of Asia. I want to test myself and get out of my comfort zone and see if I am ready for that level.

“I want to stay humble and work hard. I am still very young and things can always go downhill, so my plan is to keep working hard.”

In the night’s main category, Albirex forward Tanaka, who scored 33 goals and provided 11 assists, won the SPL Player of the Year award.

As well, Albirex coach Kazuaki Yoshinaga was named Coach of the Year for a third time.

Although nominees had been announced only a day before the awards, the buzz was in the air among the 500 guests at the ceremony.

This was, after all, the first time that the annual event had been held in-person since 2019.

The night began in honour of the late FAS president Lim Kia Tong, who died aged 70 on Sept 14, with a minute’s applause after a video montage was shown on screen.

Top performers in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), which returned in May after a two-year absence due to the pandemic, were also honoured.

Tanjong Pagar United’s Japanese veteran Manami Fukuzawa was named the WPL Player of the Year.

The 31-year-old attacking midfielder scored eight goals in 12 matches to finish as the league’s second highest scorer.

Her teammate Haziqah Haszman, who kept four clean sheets this year, won the league’s Young Player of the Year award.

Fukuzawa is already looking ahead to next season and wants to get to double figures.

She said: ”I didn’t expect to win today but I’m very happy. I think I had an average season but I really wanted us to be champions. Next year, I want to win it all – the title, the Golden Boot, the Player of the Year and even the Goal of the Season.”

FAS Awards Night winners (Singapore Premier League)

Player of the Year: Kodai Tanaka (Albirex)
Young Player of the Year: Ilhan Fandi (Albirex)
Coach of the Year: Kazuaki Yoshinaga (Albirex)
Goal of the Year: Ilhan Fandi (Albirex)
Referee of the Year: Ahmad A’Qashah
Assistant Referee of the Year: Ronnie Koh
SPL Topscorer: Boris Kopitovic (Tampines)
SPL Golden Glove: Zaiful Nizam (Geylang International)
SPL Team of the Year: Zaiful Nizam (Geylang), Masaya Idetsu (Albirex), Pedro Henrique (Sailors), Joshua Pereira (Geylang), Diego Lopes (Sailors), Vincent Bezecourt (Geylang), Kyoga Nakamura (Tampines), Maxime Lestienne (Sailors); Ilhan Fandi (Albirex), Boris Kopitovic (Tampines), Kodai Tanaka (Albirex)
Fairplay award: Albirex

FAS Awards Night winners (Women’s Premier League)

Player of the Year: Manami Fukuzawa (Tanjong Pagar)
Young Player of the Year: Haziqah Haszman (Tanjong Pagar)
Coach of the Year: Yeong Sheau Shyan (Sailors)
Goal of the Year: Izzati Rosni (Sailors)
WPL Topscorer: Izzati Rosni (Sailors)
WPL Golden Glove: Beatrice Tan (Sailors)
Fairplay award: Tiong Bahru FC