S.League: Stags swoop for Abdil

Five days.

That was how long it took for Abdil Qaiyyim to find new employment after his contract with Warriors FC was terminated.

And the club who have signed him on are no less than the defending champions of the Great Eastern-Yeo's S.League, Tampines Rovers.

The Stags have signed a one-year deal with the defender and welcomed him to his first training session on Monday night.

Speaking to The New Paper, Tampines coach Salim Moin said: "I saw Abdil when he was playing with the LionsXII (in 2012) and he has potential.

"He is only 24 and has a long career ahead of him, and I think players should be given a chance - we'll see more of his character in training sessions."

Abdil's contract with the Warriors was terminated on February 19, after a misunderstanding with club officials escalated. It eventually led to him being axed for what the Warriors described as a "disciplinary matter".

Abdil has put the incident behind him and is looking hopefully to the future.

"It's truly an honour to be joining one of the biggest clubs in Singapore, one with a rich history," he said.

"I would like to thank the boss (club chairman Teo Hock Seng) and the coaches for giving me such a great opportunity when I thought all was lost.

"I will work hard, grab whatever chances come my way, try to break into the first team and stake a claim for the first 11 in the future."

The Stags have ruled local football in recent times, lifting the Great Eastern-Yeo's S.League title the last three seasons.

After guiding Woodlands Wellington to a shock third-placed finish in the S.League last year, the Stags hired Salim as coach of the team.

The former Singapore international midfielder has already lifted his first piece of silverware, beating Home United last Friday to bag the Great Eastern Charity Shield.

HIGH MORALE

The match was also the opening game of the 2014 S.League season and the result means the Stags will face Hong Kong side Kitchee FC in Group H of the AFC Cup on Tuesday with their confidence high.

"To win, players need to have a tactical understanding of the game, understand how the opposition play and how we need to play our game," said Salim.

"They showed that in the win against Home United and (because of that) the players' confidence is very high."

Abdil will miss out against Kitchee as the players have already been registered for the tournament - Asia's second-tier club competition.

His first chance of pulling on a Stags shirt will come on Saturday, when Tampines host his former club Courts Young Lions at the Clementi Stadium.

shamiro@sph.com.sg

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