Balestier Khalsa are set to have a new first-choice custodian for the 2007 S.League season, following the exits of Fajar Sarib and Rizal Rahman.
The changes in the goalkeeping department are part of a dramatic overhaul at Toa Payoh, with two-thirds of the 18-man 2006 roster leaving.
Fajar has been snapped up by Geylang United as backup to Hassan Sunny, while Rizal, who missed much of the previous season through a severe knee injury, has since found new full-time employment with SIA Engineering.
The club is already moving to bring in replacements. Old boy Zulkifli Zainolabidin will be returning to Balestier after being away for two years, while the search is on for a second goalkeeper.
“We’ve brought Zulkifli in from Tampines Rovers, and we’re looking around for another keeper,” said Tigers coach Abdul Karim Razzak.
“Zulkifli was here before in 2004, and I thought he didn’t do too badly then. Goalkeepers need to be given chances to play, and when I spoke to him, he looked very motivated.
“He may not start well when the season begins, but with more match exposure and more experience, his confidence will grow. Fajar fumbled a lot when he started here too, but as he got more games, he became more confident.
“We’re also talking to Rizal to see if he’ll play part-time here as a safety net. But we may decide to have three goalkeepers in the end, so Rizal can focus on his work.”
While Fajar will remain in football, RizalÂ’s decision to concentrate on building his career outside the sports industry makes him the third Balestier player to do so in recent months.
Fullback Parwinderjit Singh, 26, has also decided to sacrifice professional football in favour of his engineering job, while defensive hard man Johnny Lui opted to hang up his boots in October at the age of 24.
The three playersÂ’ decisions had the blessings of Balestier vice-chairman S. Thavaneson, who felt it was important for clubs to think of their playersÂ’ post-football life.
Highlighting Rizal as a positive example, the 59-year-old said that the vested interests of the club must come second to what is best for the player in the long run.
“The choice is good for these players, and in the case of Rizal, it speaks especially well now that he’s training to become an aircraft maintenance engineer,” said Thavaneson.
“He’s moved up from the youth ranks, went through the Prime League, became a professional and spent several years with a club. Now he’s decided to move on, and it’s a good example of how footballers must learn to build a career for themselves.
“If he stayed on, he’d be a first-choice goalkeeper for maybe two more years. But we as football officials must look at the other side of a football player, and cannot just think of squeezing everything we can out of our players for short-term gain.
“It’s incumbent on us to ensure that footballers’ lives enjoy continuity even after they stop playing. If players have to choose between football and furthering a long-term career, I believe the long-term career is the right choice.”
The Tigers have been forced to dismantle the side that reached the RHB Singapore Cup semifinals last year, having been targeted for numerous transfer raids as a result of their achievements.
Iconic captain Akihiro Nakamura has moved to Woodlands Wellington together with Yusri Waris, while Cameroonian striker Kengne Ludovick and young defender Kamarulariffin Karim have made the short hop to Home United at Bishan.
Old warhorse Mohamed Mardani has signed with Sengkang Punggol, Osagie Ederaro is back home in Nigeria with a view to playing in Europe, while S. Senthilan, linked to several local clubs, is now a free agent.
Even Ibrahim Dawood and J. Kalaiselvan are not certain to turn out for Balestier in the coming season, as both are racing against time to recover from injuries and pass the mandatory fitness test, which starts next week.
“We are like Mustafa Shopping Centre – cheap and good,” said Karim of the club.
“Everybody comes here to shop for players, and we have to expect that because we are a small club. When bigger teams with bigger budgets come in, we have to accept that we cannot compete with them.
“It’s frustrating, but that’s reality. Two years ago, people like Ludo and Aki were nobodies in the S.League, but today they are key players at this club, and other people want them.
“But nobody is irreplaceable, and I also wish the players well. They’ve worked hard here, and they are rewarded with bigger salaries and better benefits at bigger clubs; that’s the way it goes.”
Karim is already building a new team for 2007, having swiftly established a new core of players through a combination of promoting youth and recruiting from without.
Sahairi Ramri, Jufri Taha and Anantha Rajan have all been elevated to the senior squad, after putting together impressive runs in the second half of the previous S.League season.
Kaze Teffo Giscard meanwhile maintains the Cameroonian presence at Balestier, while ex-SAFFC forward Farizal Basri has joined the club to link up with Norikazu Murakami.
The Tigers will also welcome back S. Rajendran, who is returning after one year with Geylang United and has brought with him fellow defenders Fathi Yunus and Juraimie Dawood.
“It feels good to come back, after a not-so-good time at Geylang due to injuries,” said Rajendran.
“Lim Tong Hai initially wanted to keep me there, but it became clear towards the end that I was not part of his plans for this year. I was given a choice to stay and fight it out from the bench, but I’d rather come back here where I’m wanted.
“It’s the best move for me, actually, because I’m 26, and at this age it’s important for me to get first-team football. There’s no point in wasting away on the bench or in the stands.
“I can get first-team action here, and it’s great to work with Karim again as he gets better. I’m past my injuries now, and I hope to stay injury-free and play every game this year.”