Forget Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell or Mark Viduka. For
long-time Singapore fans, their favourite all-time Australian
player could only be one man: Abbas Saad.
'Abbas who?' you might ask. Well, he's a relatively obscure
attacking midfielder and forward, who never played in Europe, but
strikes the deepest chord within the island's footballing
fraternity, courtesy of a golden spell in the early to
mid-1990s.
The Lebanese-born, Sydney-raised Saad is remembered as one of
the Singapore heroes when they won the Premier League and Malaysia
Cup double in the days before the S-League when a united
Singaporean team, consisting of locals and imports, played against
Malaysian state sides.
He scored a hat-trick as Singapore crushed Pahang 4-0 in the
1994 Malaysia Cup final.
"Abbas was a glamour boy, the Beckham of Singapore," said former
Singapore international R. Sasikumar, of sports marketing company
The Red Card. "He was one of the best players we ever had and a
loveable character off the field."
But, in 1995, Saad would go from hero to villain after being
convicted of match-fixing. He denied the charges and said that he
never received any money. But after being found guilty of helping
teammate Michael Vana fix games in the FAM Premier League, he was
banned and fined S$50,000.
By agreeing to score goals to help Singapore win, Saad says he
was unwittingly implicated in the scandal. His global suspension
was lifted the following year and he would leave Singapore to
resume his career in Australia's National Soccer League (NSL). But
it was only a couple of months ago that Saad's 14-year Singapore
ban was finally revoked. Now, at the age of 41, he's making an
emotional return to the island state to play in an exhibition
match.
Abbas Saad: the 'Singapore Beckham' ?
This Sunday, May 31st, Saad will join former teammates
including Singapore legends Fandi Ahmad and V. Sundramoorthy in an
All-Star side, which will play a curtain raiser to a game involving
S-League side, Tampines Rovers and visiting A-League outfit, North
Queensland Fury - whose star import is ex-Liverpool striker, Robbie
Fowler.
For Saad - whose varied football roles include coaching director
for New South Wales state league club, Sydney Olympic, as well as
coach of Deaf Football Australia - the visit is part nostalgia,
part healing, part redemption.
During his latest trip to Singapore, he's also completing his
'A' coaching license. With a ban no longer hanging over him, Saad
is free to pursue managerial positions in Singapore's S-League or
in Malaysia where he won the League and Cup double with Johor in
1991.
Malaysia-based former Socceroo Scott Ollerenshaw, who played
against Saad in the Malaysia Cup in the mid-1990s, described his
former rival as "technically one of the best players I have ever
seen" and "a superstar" in the region.
"He played in the days before ESPN and the local market wasn't
saturated with English football as it is today," Ollerenshaw said.
"He was a big star in Singapore and even owned his own nightclub
but then he had to go back to Australia where he had to get used to
being a normal person again."
Post-Asia, Saad played in the old NSL with Sydney Olympic,
Sydney United and Northern Spirit. He also made more Socceroo
appearances - he won four full caps in all - when Terry Venables
called him into the national team in 1998.
But his years in Southeast Asia - from 1990 to 1995 - are still
remembered as the highpoint of his colourful career. Back on
Singapore soil, the charismatic Saad - "he's still a showman", says
R.Sasikumar - sat down with ESPNsoccernet ahead of
his trip down memory lane.
Q: Abbas, what's it like to be back in Singapore and
preparing for your first game here in 14 years?
A: It's great to step up and play with '94
Malaysia Cup team, especially the players with whom I have a very
common bond for all those years and, of course, the fans who have
given me wonderful support during and after football duties.
Q: How much do you think your conviction for
match-fixing affected your reputation here?
A: Well, to be honest it never bothered me or
any Singapore fan that I have run into over the past 14 years.
Overall, as always, the fans and people's judgment of the incident
and their reactions speak volumes of how they felt for me.
Q: Why do you think Singaporeans remember you so
fondly?
A: The football fraternity of Singapore are
second to none with their support for the team and especially for
me. I think we connected due to the fact that they loved the way I
played and the attitude I played with. That's why they still
recognise my achievements and embrace me as one of their own.
Q: You've always maintained your innocence from the
match-fixing charges but what did you learn from the whole
episode?
A: Yes, until today my feelings are the same.
It has taught me the hard way I suppose to never ever put too much
trust in people and never talk without reservation on certain
topics which others will misinterpret in a sinister way which can
come back to bite you.
Q: How hard was it to resume your career after the
worldwide suspension and what does it mean to you to finally have
the Singapore ban lifted after 14 years?
A: The satisfaction and relief have followed
all the adversity that has dogged me for 14 years. It will enable
me to pursue my love of coaching to another level which I'm hoping
will attract clubs and countries of football to me. I know the ban
had limitations for me but now it's all systems go and I hope
someone will take me for my experience and knowledge of Asian
football, which is second to none.
Q: So how might your experience playing in Asia help
Australian football integrate into the region?
A: I was the first Aussie to play in Asia and
be successful in the region for a long period which ultimately
paved the way to the influx of players from Australia. Obviously,
these events have opened the relationship and a more mutual respect
towards the respective federations that have been missing over the
last 20 odd years, into a reality.
Q: What are your favourite football memories - and your
remaining ambitions in the game?
A: Firstly, playing for my country was the
ultimate goal of achievements. Winning the Aussie championships
with my first clubs - Sydney City and Sydney Olympic - as a pro
player was awesome. Then, obviously my experience in the Malaysia
Cup with Johor, winning the double and Golden Boot was incredible.
But overall, I cherish the Malaysia Cup win with Singapore and
playing with the best player I have ever played with in Fandi Ahmad
which was the ultimate dream.
I hope all these happy and successful memories will rub off onto
my coaching career and help develop and inspire all footballers
playing their trade in the Asia Pacific.
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