Muhammad Saifullah bin Mohammad Akbar (born January 31, 1999) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors and the Singapore national team.
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Muhammad Saifullah bin Mohammad Akbar[1] | |||||||||||||||
Date of birth | (1999-01-31) January 31, 1999 (age 23) | |||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Singapore | |||||||||||||||
Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | |||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||
Club information | ||||||||||||||||
Current team | Lion City Sailors | |||||||||||||||
Number | 17 | |||||||||||||||
Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
–2016 | Tampines Rovers | |||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
2016 | Tampines Rovers | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
2018-2019 | Young Lions | 24 | (3) | |||||||||||||
2020– | Lion City Sailors | 32 | (6) | |||||||||||||
National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||
2016–2017 | Singapore U19[1][2] | 4 | (2) | |||||||||||||
2019– | Singapore U23 | 10 | (2) | |||||||||||||
2021– | Singapore | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
Honours
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 February 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 December 2021 |
At the age of six, he started playing football and quickly gained entry into the then called Five Star Football Academy.[3]
Touted as a prospective football player and one to watch for Singapore,[3][4][5] he participated in the Lion City Cup with Ikhsan Fandi playing for the NFA U-16.[6]
Trialing with Newcastle Jets FC in 2015, their assistant coach indicated that they were interested in a youth team deal with the youngster.[7] However, he couldn't transfer there as FIFA rules prohibit players under 18 from joining a club abroad unless their parents reside and work in that country.[8] Previously, he had a training stint with QPR along with three other Singaporean teenagers[9] that lasted for five days.[10][11] Also, he had a two-week stint at Metz, funded by the Singapore Sport School.[12]
On his first-team debut, he scored a goal to secure a 6–4 win over Hougang United FC[4] in the Singapore League Cup.[13] After training daily with the Tampines Rovers first team throughout the 2015 S.League season, he joined their Prime League squad with the aim of making the Singapore roster for the biannual 2017 SEA Games.[14]
He joined Young Lions FC after his national service and played the out the remainder of the 2018 campaign. While on trial at CD Tenerife, he did enough to be offered a contract with the club's B team, he however chose to remain with Young Lions for the 2019 Singapore Premier League season due to developmental reasons.[14] Saifullah became a key member of the Young Lions squad that season, featuring regularly at the right wing position under Coach Fandi Ahmad.
He represented Singapore in the 2013 Asian Youth Games staged in the provincial city of Nanjing.[3]
In 2016, he was called up for the Singapore U19 team facing the Bahrain U19 selection.[1][2]
On 17 May 2021, Saifullah Akbar got the national team call-up by head coach Tatsuma Yoshida for the remaining Asian World Cup qualifiers in June.[15] Fast forward to 3 June, Saifullah made his first-ever national team debut against Palestine by coming on as a substitution for Hafiz Nor in the 65th minute.[16]
Club | Season | League | Singapore Cup | League Cup | AFC Cup | Total | ||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Tampines Rovers | 2016 | S.League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | ||
Young Lions FC | 2018 | Singapore Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
2019 | Singapore Premier League | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 3 | |
Total | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | ||
Lion City Sailors | 2020 | Singapore Premier League | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 |
2021 | Singapore Premier League | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | |
2022 | Singapore Premier League | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
Total | 47 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 7 | ||
Career total | 72 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 12 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
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Singapore | |||
2021 | 5 | 0 | |
Total | 5 | 0 |
No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
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1 | 3 June 2021 | King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | ![]() | 0-4 (lost) | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (2nd Rd) |
2 | 8 June 2021 | King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | ![]() | 0-5 (lost) | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (2nd Rd) |
3 | 12 June 2021 | King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | ![]() | 0-3 (lost) | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (2nd Rd) |
4 | 11 November 2021 | Al Hamriya Sports Club Stadium, Sharjah, UAE | ![]() | 1-2 (lost) | Friendly |
5 | 18 December 2021 | National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore | ![]() | 0-2 (lost) | 2020 AFF Championship |
No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 26 March 2019 | MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia | ![]() | 3-1 (won) | 2020 AFC U-23 Championship qualification |
2 | 5 December 2019 | Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines | ![]() | 7-0 (won) | 2019 Southeast Asian Games |
3 | 25 October 2021 | Jalan Besar Stadium, Jalan Besar, Singapore | ![]() | 2-2 (draw) | 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification |
4 | 28 October 2021 | Jalan Besar Stadium, Jalan Besar, Singapore | ![]() | 1-0 (won) | 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification |
5 | 31 October 2021 | Jalan Besar Stadium, Jalan Besar, Singapore | ![]() | 1-5 (lost) | 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification |
6 | 16 February 2022 | Prince Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia | ![]() | 1–3 (lost) | 2022 AFF U-23 Championship |
7 | 19 February 2022 | Prince Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia | ![]() | 0–7 (lost) | 2022 AFF U-23 Championship |
8 | 7 May 2022 | Thiên Trường Stadium, Nam Định, Vietnam | ![]() | 2–2 (draw) | 2021 Southeast Asian Games |
9 | 11 May 2022 | Thiên Trường Stadium, Nam Định, Vietnam | ![]() | 1–0 (won) | 2021 Southeast Asian Games |
10 | 14 May 2022 | Thiên Trường Stadium, Nam Định, Vietnam | ![]() | 2–2 (draw) | 2021 Southeast Asian Games |
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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1 | 5 December 2019 | Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines | ![]() | 3–0 | 7–0 | 2019 Southeast Asian Games |
2 | 11 May 2022 | Thiên Trường Stadium, Nam Định, Vietnam | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2021 Southeast Asian Games |
No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 17 September 2016 | Vietnam Youth Training Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam | ![]() | 2-1 (won) | 2016 AFF U-19 Youth Championship |
2 | 19 September 2016 | Vietnam Youth Training Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam | ![]() | 0-2 (lost) | 2016 AFF U-19 Youth Championship |
3 | 4 November 2017 | MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia | ![]() | 1-3 (lost) | 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualification |
4 | 8 November 2017 | MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia | ![]() | 2-4 (lost) | 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualification |
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 September 2017 | Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar | ![]() | 2–0 | 3-0 | 2017 AFF U-18 Youth Championship |
2 | 8 November 2017 | MFF Football Centre, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia | ![]() | 2–4 | 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualification |
Saifullah's father is Akbar Nawas who helped him volunteer for early national service enlistment.[19] As a hobby, he plays guitar and sings and supports Chelsea.[20]
Singapore U22