Zulfahmi Arifin
Muhammad Zulfahmi bin Mohd Arifin (born 5 October 1991) is a Singaporean footballer who plays as a Midfielder. He is noted for being a technical player with set pieces and playmaking abilities. He is also capable operating at full-back and center back.[2]
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name |
Muhammad Zulfahmi bin Mohd Arifin[1] | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 5 October 1991 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Singapore | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position(s) | Midfielder / Defender | |||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||
Current team | Suphanburi | |||||||||||||||
| Number | 23 | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| National Football Academy | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Young Lions | 46 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | LionsXII | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Home United | 23 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Hougang United | 21 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | Chonburi | 15 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2019 | Hougang United | 20 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2020– | Suphanburi | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Singapore U23 | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2013– | Singapore | 46 | (1) | |||||||||||||
Honours
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* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 November 2019 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22 November 2019 | ||||||||||||||||
Club career
Young Lions
Zulfahmi began his footballing career with Young Lions in the S.League. After two seasons with the club, he was selected in the LionsXII squad for the 2013 season of the Malaysia Super League.[3][4]
LionsXII
Zulfahmi failed to play any part in the first 6 games of the season. He was given his first start against Pahang in the MSL on 16 February 2013. Two more appearances followed until a road traffic accident in mid-April set him back a month.[5] He managed one further start and a substitute appearance on his return as LionsXII won the 2013 Malaysia Super League.
Zulfahmi's potential was recognised as he had a run of six starts in the beginning of the 2014 campaign. Poor performances however meant that he was dropped to the bench in favour of Firdaus Kasman for the next three games.[6] He marked his return to the starting line-up on 22 March by curling a free kick into the PKNS net to score his first LionsXII goal.[7]
Home United
After LionsXII was disbanded, Zulfahmi went to sign for Home United for the 2016 S.League. He made 17 appearances for the protectors before leaving the club at the end of the season.[8]
Hougang United
Zulfahmi signed for the Cheetahs ahead of the 2017 S.League season, joining former coach Phillipe Aw.
Chonburi FC
Zulfahmi's journey to Thailand happened after he made contacts with a Thai agent. Zulfahmi was on trial with second-tier Angthong FC who had wanted to start negotiations after a day. However, Zulfahmi, on the advice of his agent, traveled to Chonburi instead for a 4-day trial. After playing 60 minutes in a 2–3 friendly defeat to Thai Port FC, Chonburi offered him a contract which is only slightly higher than what he received at Hougang.[9]
Zulfahmi became only the third Lion to play in the Thai top tier, after Hassan Sunny and John Wilkinson.[10] Zulfahmi made his debut in a 1-0 loss to Chiangrai United.[11] He has started Chonburi's first two games of the Thai League 1, helping them to a draw and a loss.[12]
Hougang United
After spending a season with Chonburi, Zulfahmi re-signed for Hougang United FC for the 2019 Singapore Premier League season.[13]
Suphanburi
After a year back in his native Singapore, helping Hougang to a 3rd place finish, Zulfahmi found himself back in the Thai League 1 after an agent contacted him about Suphanburi's interest. Suphanburi's coach Adebayo Gbadebo had watched videos of Zulfahmi's previous games before expressing an interest in signing him.[14]
International career
Zulfahmi was first called up to the Singapore national team for a friendly match against Thailand on 24 August 2011.[15] He was also part of the 2012 AFF Championship winning squad although he did not made any appearances in the competition.[9]
Zulfahmi was handed his first international start against Laos on 10 October 2013.[16]
Along with Hariss Harun, he has been identified by national coach Bernd Stange as the future of Singapore's midfield.[6]
Zulfahmi had also been part of the Singapore squad for the 2014 and 2016 AFF Championships.[17]
Zulfahmi finally got his first goal after winning 40 caps for the Lions in a 1-1 draw with Oman on 23 March 2019, scoring via a free-kick from about 23 yards out.[18]
Singapore Selection Squad
Zulfahmi was selected as part of the Singapore Selection squad for The Sultan of Selangor’s Cup to be held on 6 May 2017.[19]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 29 Feb 2020. Caps and goals may not be correct.
| Club | Season | S.League | Singapore Cup | Singapore League Cup |
Asia | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Young Lions | 2010 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | — | 14 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 23 | 1 | — | — | — | 23 | 1 | ||||
| 2012 | 11 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| Total | 46 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 1 | |
| Club | Season | Malaysia Super League |
Malaysia FA Cup |
Malaysia Cup | Asia | Total | |||||
| LionsXII | 2013[20] | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| 2014[21] | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2015 | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | — | ?? | ?? | ||
| Total | 19 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| Club | Season | S.League | Singapore Cup | Singapore League Cup |
Asia | Total | |||||
| Home United | 2016 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | |
| Total | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| Hougang United | 2017 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | |
| Total | 21 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| Club | Season | Thai League 1 | Thai FA Cup | Thai League Cup | - | Total | |||||
| Chonburi (on loan) | 2018 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |
| Total | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| Club | Season | S.League | Singapore Cup | Singapore League Cup |
Asia | Total | |||||
| Hougang United | 2019 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | |
| Total | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| Club | Season | Thai League 1 | Thai FA Cup | Thai League Cup | - | Total | |||||
| Suphanburi (on loan) | 2020 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Career total | 93 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 110 | 0 | |
International
International goals
- As of match played 24 March 2019. Singapore score listed first, score column indicates score after each Zulfahmi goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 March 2019 | Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Malaysia | 40 |  | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
References
- "FAS names 2014 LionsXII squad list". FAS. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- "Sundram tips Zulfahmi to make LIONSXII impact". FoxSportsAsia. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- "LionsXII 2013 unveiled". LionsXII. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Zulfahmi 3rd LionsXII player hurt in motorbike accident". The Straits Times. 17 April 2013.
- "Football: Zul set to start for Lions". The New Paper. 28 February 2014.
- "LionsXII snap losing streak against PKNS". Goal. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
- "Protectors strengthen with Izzdin and Van Huizen, Zulfahmi to Hougang". FourFourTwo. 14 December 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- hermes (23 December 2017). "Football: Gaining experience is Zulfahmi Arifin's main objective in Thai adventure". The Straits Times. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- "Zulfahmi Arifin to join Thai League 1 side". FourFourTwo. 18 December 2017. Archived from the original on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- "Singapore footballers make their debuts in Thai league". The New Paper. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- Munirah, Sharifah (23 February 2018). "Zulfahmi finds a mentor in S.League legend Therdsak". The New Paper. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- hermesauto (3 March 2019). "Football: Ambitious Hougang United show title promise, but face tough start in Tampines Rovers". The Straits Times. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- Munirah, Sharifah (27 December 2019). "Zulfahmi Arifin returns to Thailand's top-tier league". The New Paper. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- "Football: Daniel Bennett set to play 100th match for Singapore in friendly against Thailand". Red Sports. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- "Lions warm up for Syria with slender victory over Laos". FAS. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- "Zulfahmi Arifin ready for challenge at 'great' Chonburi - FOX Sports Asia". FOX Sports Asia. 19 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- "Zulfahmi stunner earns Lions draw against Oman - Football Association of Singapore". Retrieved 24 March 2019.
- "SINGAPORE SELECTION SQUAD FOR THE SULTAN OF SELANGOR'S CUP REVEALED - The Football Association of Singapore". www.fas.org.sg. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- "LionsXII fixtures and results for 2013 season". LionsXII. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
- "LionsXII fixtures and results for 2014 season". LionsXII. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2014.