Muhammad Shahfiq bin Ghani (born 17 March 1992), also known as Shahfiq Shahfiq or just Shahfiq, is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays either as a forward or midfielder for Malaysia Super League club Negeri Sembilan and the Singapore national team. Shahfiq is known as a free-kick specialist.
 Shahfiq Ghani playing for LionsXII in 2013 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Muhammad Shahfiq bin Ghani[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 17 March 1992 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Singapore | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward / Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Negeri Sembilan | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | National Football Academy | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Young Lions | 37 | (7) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | LionsXII | 22 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Young Lions | 22 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Geylang International | 21 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | Hougang United | 26 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Geylang International | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Negeri Sembilan | ||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2010– | Singapore U23 | 15 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012– | Singapore | 14 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 December 2017 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:23, 25 November 2016 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Club career
editYoung Lions
editShahfiq began his club career with S.League club Young Lions in 2010. He scored 7 goals in 37 competitive matches over three Seasons from 2010 to 2012.
LionsXII
editShahfiq was selected to be in the LionsXII squad in 2013.[2][3] He contributed with 5 goals in 13 MSL matches as LionsXII won the 2013 Malaysia Super League. He drew criticism from head coach V. Sundramoorthy for his dismissal for slapping Sarawak's Muamer Salibašić in a Malaysia Cup match on 24 August 2013.[4]
A spinal injury threatened to rule Shahfiq out for the start of the 2014 season.[5] He missed the Charity Cup match against Pahang and the Malaysia FA Cup match against DRB-Hicom, returning as a 74th-minute substitute against Selangor on 25 January. In total, he spent only 77 minutes on the pitch for his club in 2014.[6]
During his two-year spell with LionsXII, he scored six goals in 31 appearances.
Return to Young Lions
editIn 2015, Shahfiq return to the Young Lions, where he scored 5 goals in 22 league appearances for his club.
Geylang International
editIn 2016, it was announced that Shahfiq would be joining Geylang International at the start of the 2016 S.League season on a 2 year contract.[6] However, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during pre-season training and was ruled out for 6 months.[7] This resulted in Shafiq missing most of the games of the season although he did make a return during the second half of the season. He returned to full fitness in July and made a surprise cameo appearance in the League Cup Plate Final against Hougang United.[6] He marked his return from injury by scoring a goal for his club in a friendly match against the Cambodia national football team and laying off an assist for a last gasp goal in a 2-1 victory over Balestier Khalsa in the league.
He scored in his first goal for the club during the last game of the season in a 4-1 win over Home United.[8] He came back strongly enough to be recalled back to the national team and making the final 23 for Singapore's disappointing 2016 AFF Championship.[9]
Shahfiq scored his first goal of the 2017 S.League season in a 2-0 win over Brunei DPMM FC while also winning another penalty which teammate Víctor Coto converted.[10]
Hougang United
editAfter being rumoured to join UKM F.C. in Malaysia, Shahfiq signed for Hougang United in 2018.
International career
editShahfiq was part of the Singapore national under-23 football team that won the bronze medal at the 2013 Southeast Asian Games.
He earned his first senior international cap in a friendly match against Hong Kong on 15 August 2012.[11] His first international goal came against China PR in a friendly match in 2013.[12]
Personal life
editShahfiq graduated from the Singapore Sports School in 2008.[13]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 27 Feb 2022. Caps and goals may not be correct.
| Club | Season | S.League | Singapore Cup | Singapore League Cup |
Asia | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Young Lions | 2010 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 0 | - | - | — | 20 | 3 | |
| 2011 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | 8 | 2 | ||||
| 2012 | 13 | 2 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 17 | 2 | |||
| Total | 37 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 7 | |
| Club | Season | Malaysia Super League |
Malaysia FA Cup |
Malaysia Cup | Asia | Total | |||||
| LionsXII | 2013[14] | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 19 | 6 | |
| 2014[15] | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 6 | |
| Club | Season | S.League | Singapore Cup | Singapore League Cup |
Asia | Total | |||||
| Young Lions | 2015 | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | - | - | — | ?? | ?? | |
| Total | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | |
| Geylang International | 2016 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 20 | 5 | ||
| Total | 23 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 6 | |
| Hougang United | 2018 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 8 | ||
| 2020 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
| Total | 59 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 73 | 13 | |
| Geylang International | 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 137 | 29 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 155 | 31 | |
- Young Lions and LionsXII are ineligible for qualification to AFC competitions in their respective leagues.
- Young Lions withdrew from the 2011 and 2012 Singapore Cup and the 2011 Singapore League Cup due to their players participating in AFC and AFF youth competitions.
International
editInternational goals
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 September 2013 | TEDA Football Stadium, Tianjin, China PR |  China |
1–1 | 6–1 | Friendly |
| Singapore national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | 6 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 9 | 1 |
Statistics accurate as of match played 5 March 2014
U23 International goals
edit| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 June 2013 | Indonesia |  Indonesia |
1-0 | 1-1 | U23 International Friendly |
| 2 | 14 September 2013 | Darul Makmur Stadium, Kuantan |  Thailand |
1-0 | 2-1 | 2013 Merdeka Tournament |
| 3 | 2 April 2014 | Hougang Stadium, Singapore | Indonesia |
1-2 | 1-2 | U23 International Friendly |
| 4 | 14 September 2014 | Ansan Wa~ Stadium, Korea |  Palestine |
1-0 | 2-1 | 2014 Asian Games |
| 5 | 14 September 2014 | Ansan Wa~ Stadium, Korea | Palestine |
2-0 | 2-1 | 2014 Asian Games |
| 6 | 16 May 2015 | Shizuoka, Japan |  Shizuoka Sangyo University SC |
1-0 | 3-0 | U23 International Friendly |
| 7 | 16 May 2015 | Shizuoka, Japan | Shizuoka Sangyo University SC |
2-0 | 3-0 | U23 International Friendly |
| 8 | 22 May 2015 | Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore |  Laos |
3-1 | 5-1 | U23 International Friendly |
| 9 | 30 May 2015 | Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore |  East Timor |
2-0 | 2-0 | U23 International Friendly |
Honours
editClub
editLionsXII
Hougang United
- Singapore Cup: 2022
International
editSingapore
- Southeast Asian Games: Bronze 2013
References
edit- ^ "FAS names 2014 LionsXII squad list". Football Association of Singapore. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "LionsXII 2013 unveiled". LionsXII official website. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Shahfiq let the team down: LionsXII coach Sundram". Today. 25 August 2013.
- ^ "MSL: Another blow for Fandi as Shahfiq injures spine". The New Paper. 6 January 2014.
- ^ a b c "The Forgotten Man: Shahfiq Ghani determined to win back fans' hearts". FourFourTwo. 24 October 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Shahfiq out for 6 months with knee injury". TODAYonline. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Geylang come up short". The New Paper. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Sundram names final 23-man AFF Suzuki Cup squad". FourFourTwo. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Geylang International vs. Brunei DPMM - Football Match Report - April 20, 2017 - ESPN". ESPNFC.com. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Football: Singapore beat Hong Kong 2–0 for first win in 9 matches".
- ^ "China PR 6 - 1 Singapore Match report - 9/6/13 Friendlies - Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Elite Student-Athletes". Singapore Sports School. Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- ^ "LionsXII fixtures and results for 2013 season". LionsXII official website. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ "LionsXII fixtures and results for 2014 season". LionsXII official website. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.