Singaporean Fandi to rejoin RI club

JAKARTA (JP): Singaporean soccer star Fandi Ahmad is set to recollect his ebullient memories with the Indonesian soccer league as he prepares to play for a Surabaya-based club, after capping his national team in the Southeast Asian Games in December.

Ahmad, who enjoyed his heyday with Niac Mitra in the early 1980s, will join Mitra Surabaya, along with his national teammate Malek Awab. The agile striker, and Singaporean goalkeeper, David Lee, formed the backbone of now defunct Niac.

"Both Singaporean players have confirmed, through their agent on Tuesday, their agreement to move to Surabaya," Mitra's spokesman Agil Ali said yesterday.

However, Agil declined to disclose how much the new signings cost the club.

"Fandi has turned down an offer from a Japanese club. He opted to return to Indonesia, instead," Agil was quoted by Antara as saying.

Ahmad and Awab are desperately needed to spearhead Mitra's up- front charge, which will be left vacant by Brazilian Gomez de Oliviera. De Oliviera is set to leave for Portugal next season.

Mitra, one of three Surabaya clubs playing in the new Indonesian soccer league, stands at the middle of the Eastern Division table with 36 points from 24 matches, 12 points away from leader Petrokimia Putra.

Ahmad and Lee were forced out of Indonesia following a decision made by the All-Indonesia Football Association in 1983, which banned foreign players from the league.

The association felt foreign footballers might cause a widening social gap and play havoc with local talents in their search for international achievement.

However, the association revised its own ruling last year and widely reopened the door for import booters. (amd)