He came to Singapore as a 20-year-old from Serbia hoping to eke out a living as a professional football player, here in the Lion City. But little did Mustafic Fahrudin know that he would one day be a legend in Singapore’s footballing fraternity.
For the Serbian who recently retired in September his journey to footballing stardom has been one that has been fraught with challenges. As a 17-year-old in Serbia, he wasn’t sure if there ever was going to be a tomorrow due to the bloody war that broke out in his country.
Yet Mustafic was ambitious and full of hope, so when there was a chance to ply his trade in Singapore came, he grabbed it with both hands. Arriving in the Southeast Asian nation at first was a huge challenge for him.
But after six months he felt his sacrifice was worth it as he began to adapt to the culture, food and weather. In his profession, Mustafic would experience a meteoric rise as he went from Prime League player to playing for one of Singapore’s biggest clubs: Tampines Rovers.
Along the way he would win silverware with the Stags before getting a call-up to the national team under former Singapore coach, Raddy Avramovic. It would be Mustafic’s performance with the national team that would earn him a place in the heart of Singaporeans.
Fans of the Lions can never forget his two crucial penalties against Thailand in the AFF Championships in 2007 and 2012; both editions saw the Lions crowned champions. Known for being a set-piece specialist, Mustafic once said there was no secret to his excellent penalty-scoring record.
It was all down to hours in training and even before a big game, he would still practice till he perfected his technique. His dedication and sacrifice made him an exemplary figure for the young players, as he believed deeply that these were traits needed to represent one’s country.
For the former Tampines Rovers the Singapore jersey is one kit that will always be dear to him. Mustafic was also grateful to Nike for making the national jersey better. Significantly the fabric of the jersey was comfortable while its sweat-absorbent technology boosted his performance.
For the latest design of the national jersey, Mustafic loves how the red-coloured home kit is inspired by the Merlion while the blue-coloured away kit symbolises Singapore’s modernity.
He believes having the country’s past and future sewn into fabric will only add to the pride when the players don the national jersey. It will remind them of how far Singapore as a nation has come while overcoming obstacles, and can rightly inspire the current crop of national players to thread the same path especially in the AFF Championship.
For the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup, in his typically calm manner, the former midfielder feels the Lions can go all the way and what they just need is confidence.
In 2012, Singapore faced a similar situation of hopelessness when entering the AFF Suzuki Cup but emerged as champions. And according to Mustafic there’s no reason why that can’t be repeated with a little self-belief. Well let’s hope Singapore can instil some of the self-belief Mustafic has, because if they do the rewards will no doubt be great.