Like father like son, but Ilhan Fandi has his own story to write

SINGAPORE – There was a joke about how the legendary Fandi Ahmad continues to wield his influence on Singapore football long after his playing days are over – because he produced four football-playing sons.

On Nov 18, that effect was on ample display when his third son Ilhan created a lovely assist for Shawal Anuar’s equaliser before thumping in

the winner against Hong Kong

to help the Lions secure a historic Asian Cup qualification.

Despite achieving something even his more illustrious father failed to do, Ilhan told The Straits Times in a phone interview: “I can never be like my dad, Mr Fandi Ahmad, but I can learn from him and write my own story.

“Having the Fandi name behind me is always an honour and I’ll always do my best to make him, my family and my country proud.”

Brought on as a 57th-minute substitute for Glenn Kweh, the 23-year-old turned the match on its head before hobbling off in the 85th minute, an apparent victim of the poor pitch conditions at the Kai Tak Stadium.

Ilhan, who has 23 caps, arrived at Changi Airport on a crutch and his left foot in a protective boot, and after mingling with the fans who came to welcome the team on Nov 19, the forward headed straight to the hospital for a scan.

He told ST: “The field was not good and I felt a crack. It doesn’t feel too good now, but I’m trying to stay positive. I’ll do anything for the country, but I hope it’s nothing serious and I’ll be back soon.”

Ilhan’s cheery personality and steely determination have seen him bounce back from several challenges.

As a 10-year-old boy, he stood at a diminutive 1.32m. Even though he was scoring buckets of goals at youth tournaments such as the Gothia Cup, Fandi was concerned.

The 63-year-old, who was keen on jumps and improvised with a rod and paint cans filled with cement as weights in his teens, told ST: “We were worried because others were growing but not him.

“He was small and not so quick then, so I created a five-metre square to work on his dribbling and pulling. We also got him to do skipping and jumping, and footballers these days also have better diet and supplements. Finally at around 17, he had his growth spurt and now he is a bit like Peter Crouch – tall but skilful.”

In Ilhan’s cheekiness and playing style, Fandi sees shades of his old self in his third son.

“Now, Ilhan can score and he can fill in the hole behind the attackers to create, and I’ve always felt he is the closest to me in the way he plays, how he keeps the ball and creates space and looking for opportunities to dribble or pass.

“He has got a football brain – just look at his assist for Shawal and his goal from a loose ball. Not many players have this quality which can help teams unlock defences and win games.”

Ilhan, meanwhile, was sure he would stand tall one day.

He said: “I always believed in my ability. Like my father, I will visualise myself scoring. And I think I get my fighting spirit from my mum (Wendy Jacobs), who is still always so positive despite her health issues.”

But even then, he did not imagine he would be the hero of the hour, especially with the poor luck he has had with injury.

After a stellar Singapore Premier League season in which he won the championship with Albirex Niigata and won the Young Player and Goal of The Year awards in 2022, he earned a move

to now-defunct Belgian side KMSK Deinze

but suffered a serious knee injury that limited his playing time in Europe.

He also struggled to get game time when he

moved to Thailand’s BG Pathum United

and he is now on loan at champions Buriram United. But he stressed that he is a happier man now.

He said: “I haven’t been getting many chances to play, but the training has been good and the love I’ve been getting at Buriram has been phenomenal. You guys can see I’m so much sharper now, so let’s see what happens.”

While Fandi is heartened by how his three older sons Irfan, Ikhsan and Ilhan have carried the torch to become national players, he hopes they can achieve even more milestones.

He said: “I was at Groningen when we played in the 1984 Asian Cup and had a bad knee injury during the 1996 Asian Cup qualifiers when we narrowly missed out.

“It was a regret to not have played at the continental level because any footballer would want to play in a big tournament and see where they and the team stand.

“Hence, I’m very happy, not just for my sons but also the whole team for their historic achievement and I hope they will continue to improve and make the nation proud.”