SINGAPORE, 2024, JULY 05 – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced today that Yazeen Buhari will step down as its General Secretary on 30 September 2024. Yazeen, who joined the FAS in 2017 after working with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has been a pivotal figure in the FAS and Singapore Premier League (SPL) administration.
As a former FIFA international match official, Yazeen played a key role in launching several significant developments in Singapore football. These include the 2018 rebranding of the SPL with AIA as a multi-year title sponsor, the 2021 launch of the Unleash the Roar! initiative, and the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in the SPL since 2023.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yazeen was instrumental in the FAS’s quick response to support the football community. The provision of relief grants through reallocating FAS resources helped maintain capabilities, safeguard livelihoods of SPL administrators and professional footballers, and ensure the local football community remained active safely. Together with former FAS President, the late Mr. Lim Kia Tong, Yazeen also played a crucial role in Singapore winning the right to host the biggest international sporting event since the pandemic’s outbreak. He led the local organising committee of the month-long AFF Suzuki Cup in December 2021, which saw over 700 players and officials from ASEAN participate in the centralized competition.
Yazeen has shown a strong commitment to supporting women’s football in Singapore. Under his leadership, the FAS significantly increased its strategic investment in the women’s game. This included securing Deloitte in 2022 as the inaugural title sponsor of the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
To better position the youth and grassroots football community, the FAS introduced the Academy Accreditation System (AAS) and Training Compensation Scheme (TCS) in 2024 during Yazeen’s tenure. These initiatives incentivise academies that play crucial roles in players’ formative years.
Yazeen stated, “It has been a privilege to helm this organization, given the magnitude and importance of this role. But after being away from my family for seven years, I have made the difficult decision to leave. I believe it’s the right time for a leadership change. Many initiatives have started to take shape in the past two years, and with the support of all stakeholders, I am confident they will reach their desired outcomes. I thank current and previous Council members, our member clubs, government partners, fans, volunteers, players, and the media for their support. Lastly, my appreciation to my colleagues in FAS who have been a stellar group to be part of.”
FAS President Bernard Tan responded to Yazeen’s resignation, saying, “On behalf of the FAS Exco and Council, I express our utmost gratitude for Yazeen’s work as General Secretary. His departure is a significant loss to Singapore football. However, we respect his desire to prioritize his family after seven years with the FAS and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
The FAS has begun the search for a successor, which will be announced in due course.