Kadir Yahaya has done such a sterling job with the Singapore national Under-15 team in the recently-concluded Youth Olympic Games (YOG) and he should stay to develop these Cubs into Lions in the longer term.
The YOG is the second major international tournament the former national defender has handled. The first was the AFC Under-16 Championship finals which the Lion City hosted and the host team handled no less by Kadir himself.
That cohort comprised of several players who are now featuring in the senior S.League with Young Lions. They included skipper Hariss Harun, who is now a permanent fixture in the senior squad set-up, goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud, defender Afiq Yunos and winger Gabriel Quak Jun Yi.
Grouped against continental powerhouses Japan and South Korea, as well as Nepal, these Cubs showed they were no pushovers in the finals even though they crashed out after the first round.
They held South Korea level 1-1 at one point until the oppositions' superior technique showed to win 3-1. Then the result of the tournament against eventual champions Japan.
One goal down and one boy less, the plucky Singaporeans equalised from the spot late in the game to earn not just a point, but also the respect of the Japanese team.
The real credit has to be given to Kadir for ensuring that this result is even remotely possible in the first place. With budget constraints affecting overseas tour preparations for the team then, Kadir utilised his contacts to search high and deep for videos of the opponents they were up against before that tournament.
His analytical abilities and coaching style were also instrumental. He knew that Singaporeans would not be playing against the likes of Japan, South Korea and Australia on a very regular basis, thus they would need to know how to get the best of these encounters beyond the result when it came.
What has happened to that group since? While several have faded away, the likes of Hariss, Afiq and Quak have won bronze medals in Southeast Asian Games.
With better financial support and assistance from present technical director Slobodan Pavkovic in 2010, the Cubs were able to go on a tour to England, the home of football, to play friendly games against opponents bigger, stronger and technically more proficient.
Losing in friendly matches were worth it as they went on to clinch the coveted bronze medal after an emotionally roller-coaster campaign.
In between, he has also been the other half of a successful tactical partnership with Singapore legend Fandi Ahmad as the assistant coach of Indonesian Super League side Pelita Jaya.
Tactically astute, strategically aware and knowledgable, the man who provided the assist for the Lions' first major international trophy in 1998 should be given the chance to develop these Singaporeans further.
To do that, Football Association of Singapore do need to know they have an up-and-rising competitive coach who can deliver expectations. If Winston Lee, P Sivakumar and company are smart enough, they should promote Kadir to be national assistant coach to Radjoko Avramovic.
Curiously, Avramovic is without an official assistant for the last three years since the departure of Fandi in 2006. The main sidekick has been fitness coach Aleksandar Bozenko since.
If not Kadir, then who?
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