The Singapore Armed Forces Football Club (SAFFC) is a professional football club which is currently the defending champion in Singapore's S.League. The club represents the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).SAFFC has won the S.League title a record seven times – in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
On 21 November 2008, SAFFC became the first Singaporean club to complete the double double of the S.League and the Singapore Cup, topping both competitions in 2007 and 2008.
In 2009, SAFFC became the first Singaporean club team to play in the prestigious Asian Champions League. The last time a Singaporean club team played in the highest Asian club competition, was the Asian Club Championship back in 2002.
The team's nickname is the "Warriors", and their mascot is a rhino. Their home ground is the Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
Prior to the formation of SAFFC for the S.League's inaugural season in 1996, the Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association (SAFSA) football team represented the SAF in top-level local football competitions from 1975-95. SAFSA won Singapore's National Football League (NFL) in 1978, 1981 and 1986, and the President's Cup in 1975, 1984 and 1986. Over the years, SAFSA's team included many outstanding players such as Hussein Aljunied, Dollah Kassim, Quah Kim Song, Lim Tien Jit, Muniandy Kumar, Seak Poh Leong, Lim Chiew Peng, Leong Kok Fann, Au-Yeong Pak Kuan, Malek Awab, V. Selvaraj, Salim Moin and Terry Pathmanathan. The objective of the SAFSA team was to provide opportunities for full-time National Servicemen and regular military personnel to contribute to the development of football in Singapore.
When S.League was formed in 1996, SAFSA withdrew from the NFL and SAFFC was formed to represent the SAF in the new professional league, with a team comprising a mix of foreign players, local professionals and full-time National Servicemen. The club was officially established on 16 February 1996. From 1996-2000, SAFFC played its home games at the Jurong Stadium. In 1999, SAFSA's football team resumed participation in the NFL (which became Singapore's second-tier league after the launch of the S.League). This enabled more talented football players enlisted in national service to play in a competitive league competition even if they were not selected to play for SAFFC's S.League team.
In 2001, SAFFC moved into a new home stadium – the Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
SAFFC's mascot is a rhinoceros. Initially the club had wanted its mascot to be a warrior, however the S.League decided that all its clubs should have an animal mascot. The S.League proposed that SAFFC's mascot should be a wolf. However the club decided that the characteristics of the wolf did not reflect the image and character of the SAF, and instead opted for a rhino. The club's nickname, however, has always been the "Warriors".
In 2009, the Warriors put their name in the Singapore football record books once again by becoming the first Singaporean club to qualify for the AFC Champions League group stages, after beating PEA FC of Thailand and PSMS Medan in the regional qualification playoffs.
SAFFC were drawn in a difficult group with J.League champions Kashima Antlers, K.League champions Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Chinese Super League runners-up Shanghai Shenhua, and despite being confirmed as the group losers after a 5-0 loss to Kashima Antlers in Japan, they managed to win their first ever point in the competition with a 1-1 draw against Shanghai Shenhua at home. They also put up a good performance throughout the competition, having managed to score thrice so far.
Competitive Record
S.League Record
2008 - Champions
2007 - Champions
2006 - Champions
2005 - Runners-up
2004 - 4th place
2003 - 3rd place
2002 - Champions
2001 - Runners-up
2000 - Champions
1999 - Runners-up
1998 - Champions
1997 - Champions
1996 - Runners-up (Series 1: 4th place; Series 2: Champions; lost 2-1 to Geylang United in the championship final)
Singapore Cup Record
2009 - First round
2008 - Champions
2007 - Champions
2006 - Quarter-finals
2005 - Semi-finals
2004 - Quarter-finals
2003 - First Round
2002 - Quarter-finals
2001 - 3rd-place
2000 - Runners-up
1999 - Champions
1998 - Runners-up
1997 - Champions
Singapore League Cup Record
2009 - Second place
2008 - Quarter-finals
2007 - Did not take part
Other Cup Wins
Singapore FA Cup - 1997
Performance in AFC Competitions
AFC Champions League: 1 appearance
2009: Group Stage
Asian Club Championship: 3 appearances
1999: First Round
2000: Second Round
2002: First Round
AFC Cup: 2 appearances
2007: Quarter-Finals
2008: Quarter-Finals
AFC Cup Winners Cup: 2 appearances
1997/98: Second Round
2000/01: First Round
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