Khairul Amri

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Khairul Amri
Amri playing for LionsXII against Kelantan in 2014
Personal information
Full name Mohammad Khairul Amri bin Mohammad Kamal[1]
Date of birth (1985-03-14) 14 March 1985 (age 39)[2]
Place of birth Singapore
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
2000–2003 National Football Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2008 Young Lions 114 (54)
2008–2009 Tampines Rovers 51 (23)
2010–2011 Persiba Balikpapan 28 (29)
2012 LionsXII 27 (21)
2013 Tampines Rovers 26 (11)
2014–2015 LionsXII 48 (35)
2016 Young Lions 23 (15)
2017–2019 Tampines Rovers 51 (32)
2019–2020 Felda United 13 (8)
2021–2023 Tanjong Pagar United 60 (13)
Total 441 (241)
International career
2004–2019 Singapore 132 (32)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Singapore
Sea Games
Bronze medal – third place Sea Games 2007 Football
Asean Football Championship
Winner AFF Suzuki Cup 2004 2004
Winner AFF Suzuki Cup 2007 2007
Winner AFF Suzuki Cup 2012 2012
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mohammad Khairul Amri bin Mohammad Kamal (born 14 March 1985) is a Singaporean former footballer who plays as a striker or winger. He is known for his pace, sharp dribbling skills and his powerful shot with either foot. He was named the first ever Lions' Player of the Year for his performance in the 2006 S.League season on 4 January 2007. He is the older brother of Khairul Nizam who was a former footballer who played as a winger or striker for Singapore Premier League club Tanjong Pagar United F.C.

Club career[edit]

Young Lions[edit]

Along with Baihakki Khaizan, Shahril Ishak and Hassan Sunny, Khairul Amri was in the pioneer batch of the National Football Academy graduates in 2000.[3]

Khairul Amri had begun his professional footballing career at S.League club Young Lions in 2004.

The 2006 S.League season was a breakthrough season for the youngster, scoring more than 20 goals in all competitions, including a 4-bagger in a FA Cup Malaysia match. Khairul Amri was amongst the top scorers in the 2006 season of the S.League and many of his goals have come from free kicks. He went on to captain the Young Lions team in 2007 after then-captain Baihakki Khaizan left to join Geylang International.

In total, he scored 54 goals in 114 appearances before leaving the club.[4]

Tampines Rovers[edit]

In the mid-season transfer window of the 2008 S.League season, Khairul Amri moved to Tampines Rovers and capped off the season by winning the S-League's Young Player of The Year. However, he sustained a metatarsal injury in the 88th minute of the third-place play-offs of the 2008 Singapore Cup against his former club, the Young Lions, which ultimately ruled him out of action for two months.

Persiba Balikpapan[edit]

In 2010, Khairul Amri moved overseas for the first time to join Indonesian football club Persiba Balikpapan. Khairul Amri substantiated his decision to join the Indonesian side on the fact that it was a rare opportunity, not just for him to prove himself overseas as a footballer, but also to expand the profile of Singaporean football.[5] The move would also allow Khairul Amri to be exposed to a different type of challenge as he had already been playing in the S.League for 5 years.[5]

Khairul Amri made a dream start to his foreign stint as he managed to score on his debut appearance.[5] He, however, tore one of his leg muscles and was sidelined for approximately 7 to 8 months during a match, halfway through the season. Due to the severity of the injury, Khairul Amri's stint with the Indonesian Super League side was a short-lived one. He finished his only season with Persiba Balikpapan with 9 goals in 23 matches.[6]

Khairul Amri had originally been slated to stay for a longer period with Persiba Balikpapan. Prior to the match that caused his knee injury, the management team had proposed a contract extension to him. However, he had told the staff to wait until the end of the game.[5] The injury however, proved a serious issue as the club could not afford to keep Khairul Amri on the sidelines for an extended period of time. During his recovery from the knee injury, Khairul Amri spent his time recuperating with Gombak United, at the offer of club chairman John Yap.[5]

LionsXII[edit]

During his recuperation, Khairul Amri was introduced to the LionsXII project by the Football Association of Singapore. In November 2011, Khairul Amri agreed to join the LionsXII squad and played for the club in the 2012 Malaysia Super League (MSL). He finished the season as the club second highest scorer with 8 goals in 27 appearances behind Sharil Ishak who scored 14 goals in 31 appearances.

Tampines Rovers[edit]

Amri later signed for Tampines Rovers in 2013. He scored 12 goals for the Stags in the league, finishing the season as the joint-top local scorer in the 2013 S.League and winning his first S.League title.[7][8]

LionsXII[edit]

Khairul Amri returned to the LionsXII setup once again for the 2014 MSL season. He scored seven goals in 24 appearances for his team.

He started the 2015 Malaysia Super League strongly, scoring 10 goals in 25 appearances for his team, including a hat-trick in a 4–1 win against Sime Darby F.C. His fine form was rewarded as he won the May Player of the month award. However, in October 2015, his knee injury struck again, forcing him to miss the rest of the season.[9]

Young Lions[edit]

After the LionsXII was disbanded following the conclusion of the 2015 MSL season, Amri signed on a two-year contract with the Young Lions for the 2016 S.League season as one of three overage players, together with Firdaus Kasman and Christopher van Huizen.[10][11] He was also named as the captain of the team.[12] However, he was forced to miss out the opening weeks of the season due to an injury.[13] Khairul only eventually made his first appearance in April, 5 months after his last competitive match.[14] Khairul's injury ravage season saw him score only 5 goals all season.[7]

Tampines Rovers[edit]

After an early end to his two-year contract with the Young Lions, Amri was chased by a few sides, including Tampines and Hougang United. Khairul opted to sign for his former side in the end, joining the Stags for a third time.[15]

He made his re-debut for the Stags in a 2017 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off against Filippino side Global FC and had a chance to net on his debut but his penalty was pushed away by the goalkeeper as the Stags crash out following a 2–0 defeat.[16] His first appearance in the league, which was also a Singapore Community Shield match, ended in a similarly disappointing fashion as he came off the bench in a 2–1 defeat by Albirex Niigata Singapore FC.[17] Khairul came off the bench and scored the winner and his first goal of the season during the Stags' first game of the 2017 AFC Cup campaign.[18] He scored his first goal in the league in a 2–1 win over Hougang United FC.[19]

His next goals came in a 1–3 win over Felda United, where he scored a brace in 4 minutes, which kept Tampines in the hunt for a spot in the next round.[20] His exploits against Felda in a 24 minutes cameo earned him recognition as he was named the Fans' Asian Player of the week.[21] He continued to prove himself as the team's talisman as he scored the only goal in the next game, a 1–0 win over his former club, Young Lions, to push his team to 3rd place in the league.[22]

He has committed his future to the club by signing a three-year extension, starting from the 2018 season. However, Amri decided to leave the Stags for Malaysia, after catching the eye of Pahang-based club, Felda United who were impressed by the veteran who had scored 8 goals in the opening months of the Stags' 2019 campaign.[23]

Felda United[edit]

Amri left Tampines Rovers midway through the 2019 Singapore Premier League season to join Malaysia Super League side Felda United, signing a 1+12-year deal for the club rooted at the bottom of the table.[23] Amri. however, managed to help his side to safety, with the club eventually finishing in 10th place, starving off relegation.[24]

Tanjong Pagar United[edit]

In 2021, Amri joined Tanjong Pagar United.[25] He ended his 2022 campaign with 6 goals and 3 assists in 24 appearance for the club.

On 6 April 2023, Amri, the oldest outfield player in the 2023 Singapore Premier League at age 38, eluded the Hougang defence just enough to launch a spectacular scissors-kick volley to sweep the ball home. [26]

Career statistics[edit]

Club[edit]

As of 6 Nov 2020
Club Season League FA Cup Malaysia Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
LionsXII 2012 Malaysia Super League 6 0 0 0 9 2 0 0 15 2
Club Season League Singapore Cup League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Tampines Rovers 2013 S.League 26 11 1 0 1 1 0 0 28 12
Club Season League FA Cup Malaysia Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
LionsXII 2014 Malaysia Super League 17 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 18 7
2015 Malaysia Super League ? ? ? 0 0 0 0 0 30 28
Total 41 24 4 2 0 0 0 0 48 35
Club Season League Singapore Cup League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Young Lions FC 2016 S.League 23 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 15
Total 23 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 15
Tampines Rovers 2017 S.League 14 6 2 0 0 0 6 3 22 9
2018 Singapore Premier League 21 15 2 2 0 0 7 2 30 19
2019 Singapore Premier League 6 3 0 0 0 0 5 5 11 8
Total 41 24 4 2 0 0 18 10 63 36
Club Season League FA Cup Malaysia Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Felda United 2019 Malaysia Super League 6 4 0 0 2 3 0 0 8 7
2020 Malaysia Super League 9 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 10 3
Total 15 7 0 0 3 3 0 0 18 10
Club Season League Singapore Cup League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Tanjong Pagar United 2021 Singapore Premier League 18 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 5
2022 Singapore Premier League 22 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 24 6
2023 Singapore Premier League 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 41 10 2 1 0 0 0 0 43 11
Career total 193 91 11 5 13 6 18 10 235 112

Notes

International career[edit]

Khairul Amri represented Singapore at the international level, and has been capped at the U23, U18, U16 and senior levels.

He made his senior team debut against Oman in 2004.[2] He scored in his first start in the first leg of the 2004 AFF Championship final against Indonesia.[27] A few months later, he scored the opener in the 2–0 victory in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Asian champions, Iraq with a freekick.[28] He repeated the feat again in their next meeting although Singapore lost 4–2 this time.[29]

In the 2007 AFF Championship, he netted a goal in the 11–0 win against Laos.[30] He scored the late winner in the second leg of the final against Thailand, helping Singapore to clinch their third AFF Championship title.[27]

He was part of the Singapore national under-23 team that took part in the 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Korat, Thailand that won a bronze medal.

During the 2008 Singapore Cup third place play-offs against the Young Lions, Khairul Amri sustained a metatarsal injury in the 88th minute and was sidelined for about two months, ruling him out of the 2008 AFF Championship, as well as the first two matches of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final qualifying matches against Iran and Jordan.

In 2011, Khairul Amri was unable to participate in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers because of the injury he sustained when he was playing for his club.

He was in the winning squad of the 2012 AFF Championship, scoring a free-kick 30 yards from goal against Laos, Philippines and also netting against Thailand in the final.[27] Singapore went on to win 3–2 on aggregate.

He had a productive year in 2014, scoring 7 in 12 appearances for Singapore.[31]

As of March 2016, Amri has scored 30 goals in 103 appearances for the Lions, with 5 of those goals coming from his last 10 appearances.[32]

He scored his 32nd goal for Singapore in Singapore's disappointing 2016 AFF Championship, netting Singapore's only goal against Indonesia in a 1–2 defeat that saw the Lions crash out of the tournament.[33]

International goals[edit]

Scores and results list goal tally first.[34]
No Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 13 October 2004 Singapore  India 1–0 2–0 2006 World Cup qualifier
2 15 December 2004 Haiphong, Vietnam  Cambodia 1–0 3–0 2004 Tiger Cup
3 8 January 2005 Jakarta, Indonesia  Indonesia 1–1 3–1 2004 Tiger Cup
4 4 February 2006 Kuwait City, Kuwait  Kuwait 1–2 2–2 Friendly
5 22 February 2006 Singapore  Iraq 1–0 2–0 2007 Asian Cup qualifier
6 11 October 2006 Al-Ain, Iraq  Iraq 1–4 2–4 2007 Asian Cup qualifier
7 7 January 2007 Choa Chu Kang, Singapore  Philippines 1–1 4–1 Friendly
8 15 January 2007 Singapore  Laos 1–0 11–0 2007 AFF Championship
9 4 February 2007 Bangkok, Thailand  Thailand 1–1 1–1 2007 AFF Championship
10 21 August 2007 Shah Alam Stadium, Malaysia  Zimbabwe 2-0 4–2 2007 Merdeka Tournament
11 22 October 2009 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam  Turkmenistan 1-2 4–2 Friendly
13 16 October 2012 Singapore  Indonesia 1-0 2–0 Friendly
14 19 November 2012 Singapore  Pakistan 1–0 4–1 Friendly
15 1 December 2012 Shah Alam, Malaysia  Laos 1–3 4-3 2012 AFF Championship
16 12 December 2012 Singapore  Philippines 1–0 1–0 2012 AFF Championship
17 19 December 2012 Singapore  Thailand 1–1 3-1 2012 AFF Championship
18 4 June 2013 Yangon, Myanmar  Myanmar 1-0 2–0 Friendly
19 10 October 2013 Singapore  Laos 1-0 1–0 Friendly
20 15 October 2013 Singapore  Syria 1-1 2–1 2015 Asian Cup qualifier
21 4 February 2014 Singapore  Jordan 1-1 2–1 2015 Asian Cup qualifier
22 14 October 2014 Taipa, Macao  Macau 1-0 2–2 Friendly
23 14 October 2014 Taipa, Macao  Macau 2-0 2–2 Friendly
24 13 November 2014 Yishun, Singapore  Laos 1–0 2–0 Friendly
25 17 November 2014 Yishun, Singapore  Cambodia 1–2 4-2 Friendly
26 23 November 2014 Kallang, Singapore  Thailand 1–2 1-2 2014 AFF Championship
27 29 November 2014 Kallang, Singapore  Malaysia 1–1 1–3 2014 AFF Championship
28 30 May 2015 Dhaka, Bangladesh  Bangladesh 1–2 1-2 Friendly
29 6 June 2015 Jurong East, Singapore  Brunei 1–0 5–1 Friendly
30 6 June 2015 Jurong East, Singapore  Brunei 4–1 5–1 Friendly
31 11 June 2015 Phnom Penh, Cambodia  Cambodia 1–0 4–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
32 8 October 2015 Kallang, Singapore  Afghanistan 1–0 1–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
33 28 July 2016 Phnom Penh, Cambodia  Cambodia 1–1 1–2 Friendly
34 25 November 2016 Manila, Philippines  Indonesia 1–0 1–2 2016 AFF Championship

Others[edit]

Singapore Selection squad[edit]

He was selected as part of the Singapore Selection squad for The Sultan of Selangor's Cup to be held on 6 May 2017.[35]

Personal life[edit]

Khairul Amri is the older brother of forward Khairul Nizam who plays for Home United and Singapore, and both have previously played alongside each other at LionsXII.[36]

Honours[edit]

Lions XII

Tampines Rovers

Singapore

Individual

  • S.League People's Choice Award: 2006
  • Lions' Player of the Year: 2006
  • S.League Young Player of the Year: 2008[37]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "FAS names 2014 LionsXII squad list". Football Association of Singapore. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Lee, David (17 November 2014). "Suzuki Cup: Been there, done that, but Amri wants more". The New Paper. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Interview With Baihakki Khaizan". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 3 September 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  4. ^ "S.League.com – Amri Takes on Big Brother Role at Young Lions". sleague.com. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Singapore Football Interview: Khairul Amri – Reflections and hopes". Kallang Roar. 1 May 2012. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  6. ^ "Mohammad Khairul Amri". liga-indonesia.co.id. Retrieved 20 May 2008. [permanent dead link]
  7. ^ a b "Khairul Amri returns to Tampines Rovers for 2017 S.League season". ESPN FC. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Tampines secure Amri for the next two S.League seasons". FourFourTwo. 2 January 2017. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  9. ^ "2014 LionsXII squad list announced | Goal.com". Goal.
  10. ^ "Amri's return sparks Young Lions". The New Paper. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  11. ^ "Selvaraj predicts another tough season ahead for the Young Lions". FourFourTwo. 25 February 2017. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  12. ^ "Fear no one, captain Amri tells Young Lions". The New Paper. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  13. ^ "Amri ruled out with injury – Goal.com". Goal. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Amri returns from injury, vows to improve Young Lions' fortune". FourFourTwo. 22 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  15. ^ Ramesh, Akshay. "S.League: Tampines Rovers pip Hougang United to sign Khairul Amri". International Business Times, Singapore Edition. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  16. ^ "Global dump Tampines out of the ACL". FourFourTwo. 24 January 2017. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  17. ^ "Albirex wins Community Shield". The New Paper. 26 February 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  18. ^ "AFC Cup, Tampines Player Ratings: Amri secures first-up win for the Stags". FourFourTwo. 21 February 2017. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  19. ^ "Amri-led Tampines gun down Hougang". FourFourTwo. 3 March 2017. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  20. ^ "Khairul Amri brace inspires Tampines Rovers to AFC Cup win vs. Felda". ESPN FC. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  21. ^ "Fans' Asian Player of the Week: Tampines Rovers' Khairul Amri – Goal.com". Goal. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  22. ^ "Raab: We worked for our luck". The New Paper. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  23. ^ a b Nagib, Adeena Mohamed (9 May 2019). "Khairul Amri joins Malaysian Super League club Felda". The New Paper.
  24. ^ "M-League teams are highly competitive, says Khairul Amri". Malay Mail. 7 January 2020.
  25. ^ Auto, Hermes (14 January 2021). "Football: Old heads for new-look Jaguars | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  26. ^ 38-year-old Khairul Amri scores WORLDIE as Tanjong Pagar defeat Hougang | SPL 2023, retrieved 17 April 2023
  27. ^ a b c "Amri rises to the occasion again". ASEAN Football Federation. 20 December 2012. Archived from the original on 11 April 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  28. ^ Theng, Wai Mun (22 February 2006). "Indomitable Singapore draw first blood". Football Association of Singapore. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  29. ^ "Asian Cup qualifier: Iraq v Singapore". Football Association of Singapore. 11 October 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  30. ^ "Noh Alam hits seven as Lions slay Laos". ASEAN Football Federation. 15 January 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  31. ^ "Who can replace Khairul Amri? – Goal.com". Goal. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  32. ^ "Top striker Amri still recovering from injury, set to miss Afghan tie". The Straits Times. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  33. ^ "Goal-shy Singapore out of Suzuki Cup". The New Paper. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  34. ^ Khairul Amri at Soccerway
  35. ^ "SINGAPORE SELECTION SQUAD FOR THE SULTAN OF SELANGor's CUP REVEALED | the Football Association of Singapore". fas.org.sg. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  36. ^ "LionsXII striker Mark Nizam set for a July return". The New Paper. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  37. ^ Sulaiman, Syahrom (19 November 2008). "Duric wins Player of the Year". S.League. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

External links[edit]