Hougang United FC were the big winners at FAS Awards Night 2021!

(L-R: 2021 AIA Young Player of the Year Nur Adam Abdullah, AIA Player of the Year Tomoyuki Doi and Polar Mineral Water Coach of the Year Clement Teo - Photo by FAS)

Hougang United FC swept 2 of the top three accolades at the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Awards Night 2021 (12 Oct), at a ceremony that marked the end of the 26th domestic professional football season.

Japanese star Tomoyuki Doi took the AIA Player of the Year gong while Lion City Sailors FC defender Nur Adam Abdullah was named the AIA Young Player of the Year, with the Polar Mineral Water Coach of the Year award going to Clement Teo as the trio were recognised for their efforts in the 2021 AIA Singapore Premier League (SPL). Lion City Sailors attacker Gabriel Quak scored the SELECT Goal of the Year with his sizzling first-time effort against Balestier Khalsa FC in April. Doi also finished as the SPL Top Scorer, while Albirex Niigata FC (S) goalkeeper Takahiro Koga created a slice of history by receiving the first ever SPL Golden Glove prize in the awards’ history after registering a league-high tally of eight clean sheets.

This year’s event took place at Aux Media and saw outstanding individuals and officials from the SPL receiving awards to recognise their performances through the season, which successfully concluded last Sunday, in the face of challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic for a second consecutive year.

(Hougang United FC's Tomoyuki Doi - Photo by FAS)

24 year old Doi, enjoyed a stellar maiden season at Hougang United as he scored 19 times and made six assists in 21 matches. The attacker, who was also on the final shortlist for the award last year during his first season in the SPL with previous club Albirex Niigata (S), is the 24th different Player of the Year and the 5th Japanese recipient.

(Hougang United FC's Clement Teo - Photo by FAS)

Clement Teo became the first Singaporean in 12 years – since Richard Bok of Singapore Armed Forces FC in 2009 – to be named Coach of the Year. The 54-year-old, who led Hougang United to 3rd place, replicating the club’s highest league finish in history from 2019, is the 20th different recipient and the 5th Singaporean to win it.

(Lion City Sailors FC's Nur Adam Abdullah - Photo by FAS)

There was unexpected joy for Nur Adam, whose breakout season at the Lion City Sailors made everyone sit up and take notice. The 20-year-old established himself as a starter in his first year with the club, completing all 16 matches he played and recording one assist to help his side clinch a historic first league title. Nur Adam’s dynamic displays also recently earned the uncapped left-back a National Team call-up to the provisional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup squad.

The AIA SPL Team of the Year recognised the season’s best players in a 4-3-3 formation and comprised goalkeeper Takahiro Koga (Albirex Niigata), defenders Kazuki Hashioka, Shuya Yamashita (both Albirex Niigata), Jorge Fellipe and Nur Adam Abdullah (both Lion City Sailors), midfielders Ryoya Taniguchi (Albirex Niigata), Shahdan Sulaiman (Lion City Sailors) and Kaishu Yamazaki (Hougang United), and forwards Tomoyuki Doi (Hougang United), Stipe Plazibat (Lion City Sailors) and Šime Žužul (Balestier Khalsa). It is the 3rd straight year that Yamazaki features in this category, while Plazibat and Hashioka have been included for a 2nd consecutive season. Shahdan returns after first featuring in 2019.

A total of 15 FAS Recognition Awards were also handed out at the ceremony. Recipients included Singapore football stalwart Daniel Bennett, the nation’s most-capped international, who completed a record-extending 23rd league season. Long-serving National Teams’ equipment manager Omar Mohamed was also recognised alongside the likes of former Singapore Men’s National Team Head Coach Jita Singh and ex-Lions Captain, Seak Poh Leong.

This year’s edition of the FAS Awards Night also marked the return of the media awards and the honours for Story of the Year and Photo of the Year went to Dilenjit Singh of The New Paper and Siaw Woon Chong of Junpiter Futbol respectively.

Due to current safe-distancing measures, this year’s event was attended only by relevant personnel, such as all award recipients, presenters and essential event crew. As with previous years, the Awards Night was streamed online in order for fans to follow the proceedings. The FAS congratulates all winners from the FAS Awards Night 2021.

Please see below for the full list of winners.