Fandi's transformation from a football player to a football coach was inevitable given the wealth of talent and knowledge he has acquired about the sport over the years. Starting out as a SAFFC player-coach in 1998, Fandi realized that he wanted to be involved with football for as long as he could and becoming a coach allowed him to do just that.
After obtaining his AFC A Licence in 1999, Fandi was appointed the head coach of Warriors. He proved that he had the aptitude to be a good coach when he won the S-League title with Warriors in July 2000, eight months after taking up the coaching position. In addition, he was presented with the S-league Coach of the Year award and AFC's Coach of the Month award as a recognition for his excellent work as a coach.
Early this year, Fandi signed a three-year contract with the Malaysian Premier League side, Johor FA to be their manger.
"Be it in Singapore or Malaysia, football is the same everywhere. As a manager, I have seen that most players are passionate about the sport with their focus on giving their best effort and performing to their potential."
"I have had the opportunity to coach in the S-league with SAFFC in 1998 and Warriors in 1999 and currently I am the manage of the M-league side Johor FA. The S-league was started after Singapore withdrew from the Malaysia Cup in 1994 and to provide an outlet for professional footballers to compete in a local league. It has definitely grown leaps and bounds and have gradually become a revolutionary league with the addition of foreign teams. The M-league, although has similar aims of allowing the footballers an avenue for professional football, is focused more on the cultivation local teams and talents."
Fandi has ample experience being a coach in the S-league and after working with Johor FA for close to a season now and he has adapted well to the environment in the Malaysian Premier League. Having coached both the Singapore and Malaysia side, Fandi believes that when it comes to football there is no difference in the way things are.
"There is not much of a difference working in the Malaysian League and the Singapore League. The teams I have worked with are mostly result-oriented. The players fight hard to achieve the best results for the team and conclude their season successfully. This is my first season with Johor FA. We have three games to the end of the season and around this time of the season, everyone involved with the club are focused on finishing the season on a high-note before going off for a break."
"For many managers who travel to other countries to coach a team, language might be a barrier for them. As for me, language was never a problem when I was coaching in Singapore or now, in Malaysia. I am able to communicate and get along well with all my players in English or Malay. The transition from coaching in Singapore and then moving on to Malaysia is not much of a difficulty for me because of the similarities in the way football is managed in both countries."
"As a footballer, I have enjoyed the game and now as a coach I am still enjoying the game. It is all about the passion for football."