Midfielder Firdaus agonises over footballing future

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Heartbroken. Frustrated. And, above all, helpless.

LionsXII midfielder Firdaus Kasman has been wrestling with these conflicting emotions since being detained by the police for alleged theft and his subsequent suspension from all footballing activities by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) for drinking.

When The Straits Times visited him on Tuesday, the 24-year-old looked lost - pacing listlessly at the void deck of his block and talking on his phone.

'I know myself. I'm not the type to go around creating trouble or wreaking havoc,' he said. 'I was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. It was unfortunate this had to happen to me - I'm really sorry for this whole mess.'

When he first received an offer to join the LionsXII, he was apprehensive about first-team opportunities, said the lean, well-muscled player.

But the attack-minded midfielder has since earned the praise of coach V. Sundramoorthy for his off-the-ball movement and good training attitude, securing a starting slot in the wake of injuries to several key players. And he was just beginning to harvest the rewards of his hard work.

But his world collapsed on him at Clarke Quay late last Saturday, just four days before the LionsXII's big game against fierce rivals Selangor in Kuala Lumpur.

In a detailed FAS statement issued on Monday night, Firdaus claimed he was intoxicated and his friend had to help him to the toilet.

Along the way, the friend mistakenly picked up a stranger's handbag that he thought belonged to Firdaus' fiancee. The pair were then hauled in and grilled by the police.

It is understood Firdaus was taken into custody at about 3am on Sunday and questioned for almost 17 hours.

According to the player, the hours passed by in a blur.

He said: 'My phone was taken from me, although I kept asking if I could make a call so I could inform the team.'

He was forced to miss training on Sunday, leaving officials and his teammates clueless over his whereabouts.

'I'm heartbroken lah. I spent most of my time thinking about my footballing future and what's going to happen to me,' he said.

The FAS explained on Monday that it had suspended the player on the grounds that he had breached the players' code of conduct - which prohibits the consumption of alcohol at any time.

Firdaus has since apologised for breaching the code but denied any involvement in any offence.

The FAS is due to conduct a separate inquiry from the ongoing police investigations and has not ruled out terminating the player's contract if he is found guilty.

Members of the football fraternity who have worked with Firdaus described him as a driven player who was good and obedient.

The news came as a 'big shock' to Steven Tan, the player's coach when he won the S-League title with Tampines Rovers last year. 'Firdaus never gave me any trouble,' Tan added.

Courts Young Lions coach Robin Chitrakar, who was assistant coach of Singapore's Under-23 team at the SEA Games last November, recalled how his charge was determined to play despite being struck down by food poisoning.

For now, Firdaus can only endure an agonising wait to learn his fate as the FAS has yet to decide on a date for the hearing.

'I think I'll go for a run now - that's all I can do to clear my mind and keep fit,' he said.