{{Short description|Singaporean football manager}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Firdaus Kassim | full_name = Firdaus Bin Mohamed Kassim | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|07|7|df=y}} | managerclubs1 = [[Hougang United|Hougang United U18]] | manageryears1 = 2015 | managerclubs2 = [[Chainat Hornbill F.C.|Chainat Hornbill]] (assistant) | manageryears2 = 2016 | manageryears3 = 2016 | managerclubs3 = [[Singapore national football team|Singapore]] (assistant) | manageryears4 = 2018 | managerclubs4 = [[Muangthong United]] (assistant) | manageryears5 = 2018–2019 | managerclubs5 = [[Laos national football team|Laos]] (assistant) | manageryears6 = 2019 | managerclubs6 = [[Chainat Hornbill F.C.|Chainat Hornbill]] (assistant) | manageryears7 = 2020–2022 | managerclubs7 = [[Hougang United]] (assistant) | manageryears8 = 2022–2023 | managerclubs8 = [[Hougang United]] | manageryears9 = 2023 | manageryears10 = 2024–2025 | manageryears11 = 2025– | managerclubs9 = [[Hougang United|Hougang United U18]] | managerclubs10 = [[Lion City Sailors|Lion City Sailors U21]] | managerclubs11 = [[Singapore national under-23 football team|Singapore U23]] | manageryears12 = 2025– | managerclubs12 = [[Young Lions FC|Young Lions]] | birth_place = [[Singapore]] | currentclub = [[Young Lions FC|Young Lions]] (Head coach) }}
'''Firdaus Bin Mohamed Kassim''' is a Singaporean [[Association football|football]] manager who currently is the head coach of [[Singapore Premier League]] club [[Young Lions FC|Young Lions]] and also the [[Singapore national under-23 football team|Singapore national under-23 team]].
==Managerial career==
=== Early years === While still holding an AFC ‘B’ Coaching License, Firdaus was the head coach of [[Football Association of Singapore]] COE group from 2009 to 2013. In January 2013, Firdaus was offered the role of assistant coach at [[Woodlands Wellington FC|Woodlands Wellington U14]] team. In 2014, FAS offered him an assistant coach contract with [[Singapore national under-17 football team|Singapore national team U14]] team
After receiving his AFC ‘A’ Coaching License in 2015, Firdaus took up a role as assistant coach at [[Hougang United FC|Hougang United U18]] team.
=== Chainat Hornbill === In 2016, Firdaus was appointed assistant manager of [[Thai League 1]] side [[Chainat Hornbill F.C.|Chainat Hornbill]] where he has worked under head coach [[Worakorn Wichanarong]], [[Koichi Sugiyama (footballer)|Koichi Sugiyama]], [[Ithsara Sritaro]] and [[Dennis Amato]] at the club.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.asiaone.com/pasir-ris-thailand-sporean-firdaus-joins-chainat-fc-first-team-coach|title=From Pasir Ris to Thailand: S'porean Firdaus joins Chainat FC as first-team coach|publisher=asiaone.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tnp.straitstimes.com/sports/football/rise-laptop-coaches|title=Rise of the 'laptop coaches'|publisher=straitstimes.com}}</ref>
=== Singapore === In November 2016, Firdaus was appointed the assistant coach of [[Singapore national football team|Singapore]] under [[Varadaraju Sundramoorthy]] for the friendly match against [[Qatar national football team|Qatar]] and the [[2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)|2022 FIFA World Cup qualification]] match against [[Yemen national football team|Yemen]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.todayonline.com/sports/football/rising-coach-firdaus-assist-sundram-national-team|title=Rising coach Firdaus to assist Sundram with national team|publisher=todayonline.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tnp.straitstimes.com/sports/singapore-football/firdaus-pro-diploma-chance-blocked|title=Firdaus' Pro-Diploma chance blocked|publisher=tnp.sg}}</ref>
=== Muangthong United === On 5 January 2018, Firdaus was appointed by Thai League 1 club [[Muangthong United F.C.|Muangthong United]] as their assistant manager.
=== Laos === In November 2018, Firdaus was appointed as the assistant coach of [[Laos national football team|Laos]] reuniting with head coach [[Varadaraju Sundramoorthy]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://football-tribe.com/malaysia/2018/11/14/piala-aff-suzuki-2018-firdaus-kassim-persoal-gol-kedua-malaysia/|title=Firdaus Kassim Persoal Gol Kedua Malaysia|publisher=football-tribe.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRk13xab4_0|title=Singaporean Influence in Lao Football|website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref>
=== Chainat Hornbill === In 2019, Firdaus returned to his second stint as assistant manager at Chainat Hornbill where he worked under Dennis Amato again at the club.
=== Hougang United === In January 2020, Firdaus was appointed by Hougang United to be their assistant manager under manager [[Clement Teo]].
On 22 October 2022, Firdaus got promoted to manager after Clement Teo left the club to joined [[Angkor Tiger FC|Angkor Tiger]] in Cambodia in which Firdaus helped the club to win the [[2022 Singapore Cup]] where it was Hougang United first major trophy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=FROM%20GAME%20TO%20MATCH%20DAY%0AFirdaus%20goes%20from%20coaching%20virtual%20clubs%20to%20managing%20SPL%20team%20Hougang%0A%0AThe%20Straits%20Times22%20Jan%202023Deepanraj%20Ganesan%20gdeepan@sph.com.sg%0AST%20PHOTO:%20LIM%20YAOHUI%0AHougang%20United%E2%80%99s%20new%20head%20coach%20Firdaus%20Kassim,%2035,%20had%20stints%20in%20Thailand%20as%20an%20assistant%20coach%20at%20Muangthong%20United%20and%20Chainat%20Hornbill,%20before%20joining%20the%20Cheetahs%20as%20an%20assistant%20coach%20in%202020.%20He%20was%20also%20an%20analyst%20with%20the%20Singapore%20national%20team.%0AAs%20an%2011-year-old,%20Firdaus%20Kassim%20would%20spend%20hours%20every%20weekend%20playing%20the%20latest%20edition%20of%20Championship%20Manager%20(CM)%20on%20his%20computer.%0AWhat%20started%20as%20recreation%20with%20the%20football%20simulation%20game%20has%20progressed%20to%20real-life%20management%20for%20the%2035-year-old,%20who%20has%20been%20appointed%20Hougang%20United%E2%80%99s%20head%20coach%20this%20season.%0AHe%20was%20handed%20the%20reins%20after%20leading%20the%20Singapore%20Premier%20League%20(SPL)%20club%20to%20their%20first%20piece%20of%20silverware%20%E2%80%93%20the%202022%20Singapore%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20as%20an%20interim%20coach.%0AAs%20a%20boy,%20Firdaus%20was%20allowed%20to%20use%20the%20computer%20only%20on%20weekends%20and%20would%20look%20forward%20all%20week%20to%20sitting%20in%20front%20of%20his%20desktop%20to%20manage%20English%20Premier%20League%20side%20Newcastle%20United.%0ADuring%20the%20week,%20he%20would%20shortlist%20players%20and%20jot%20their%20names%20down%20in%20a%20notebook%20during%20lessons%20and%20plan%20how%20he%20would%20deliver%20success%20to%20the%20Magpies%20in%20the%20virtual%20world.%20He%20said:%20%E2%80%9CI%20enjoyed%20the%20thrill%20of%20picking%20the%20kind%20of%20players%20I%20wanted%20in%20my%20team%20and%20I%20would%20spend%20hours%20organising%20my%20team%20and%20the%20tactics%20that%20I%20wanted%20to%20use.%0A%E2%80%9CI%20was%20obsessed%20with%20the%20game%20and%20it%20was%20what%20I%20enjoyed%20doing%20most%20in%20my%20younger%20days.%0A%E2%80%9CI%20did%20like%20to%20play%20football%20with%20my%20friends%20but%20I%20also%20loved%20CM.%20The%20game%20made%20me%20want%20to%20learn%20more%20about%20tactics%20and%20increased%20my%20knowledge%20of%20football.%E2%80%9D%0AFirdaus%20is%20not%20alone%20in%20going%20from%20computer%20game%20to%20the%20dugout.%20Reims%20coach%20William%20Still,%2030,%20the%20youngest%20manager%20in%20France%E2%80%99s%20Ligue%201,%20has%20said%20that%20his%20interest%20in%20coaching%20came%20from%20Football%20Manager,%20the%20successor%20to%20CM.%0AAs%20his%20fascination%20with%20managing%0Aa%20team%20grew,%20Firdaus%20frequented%20the%20National%20Library%20to%20borrow%20books%20on%20football%20tactics%20and%20training.%20He%20would%20then%20put%20that%20knowledge%20into%20practice%20with%20his%20friends.%20The%20Pasir%20Ris%20Crest%20Secondary%20School%20student%20would%20recruit%20players%20for%20a%20social%20team%20called%20Eastwich,%20conduct%20training%20sessions%0Aand%20arrange%20tournaments%20at%20Pasir%20Ris%20Park.%0ABut%20he%20also%20wanted%20to%20be%20a%20professional%20footballer.%20At%2018,%20he%20was%20in%20Paya%20Lebar%20Punggol%E2%80%99s%20youth%20team%20but%20an%20ankle%20ligament%20injury,%20coupled%20with%20an%20acceptance%20that%20he%20was%20not%20good%20enough,%20saw%20him%20abandon%20his%20aspirations.%0AAt%2019,%20while%20pursuing%20a%20diploma%20in%20business%20process%20and%20systems%20engineering%20at%20Temasek%20Polytechnic,%20he%20enrolled%20for%20an%20introductory%20coaching%20course%20and%20then%20achieved%20his%20first%20certification%20%E2%80%93%20the%20%E2%80%9CC%E2%80%9D%20licence%20%E2%80%93%20while%20doing%20national%20service.%0AToday,%20he%20is%20close%20to%20completing%0Athe%20Asian%20Football%20Confederation%20professional%20diploma,%20the%20highest%20level%20of%20coaching%20accreditation%20issued%20by%20the%20region%E2%80%99s%20go|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230207092101/https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=FROM%20GAME%20TO%20MATCH%20DAY%0AFirdaus%20goes%20from%20coaching%20virtual%20clubs%20to%20managing%20SPL%20team%20Hougang%0A%0AThe%20Straits%20Times22%20Jan%202023Deepanraj%20Ganesan%20gdeepan@sph.com.sg%0AST%20PHOTO:%20LIM%20YAOHUI%0AHougang%20United%E2%80%99s%20new%20head%20coach%20Firdaus%20Kassim,%2035,%20had%20stints%20in%20Thailand%20as%20an%20assistant%20coach%20at%20Muangthong%20United%20and%20Chainat%20Hornbill,%20before%20joining%20the%20Cheetahs%20as%20an%20assistant%20coach%20in%202020.%20He%20was%20also%20an%20analyst%20with%20the%20Singapore%20national%20team.%0AAs%20an%2011-year-old,%20Firdaus%20Kassim%20would%20spend%20hours%20every%20weekend%20playing%20the%20latest%20edition%20of%20Championship%20Manager%20(CM)%20on%20his%20computer.%0AWhat%20started%20as%20recreation%20with%20the%20football%20simulation%20game%20has%20progressed%20to%20real-life%20management%20for%20the%2035-year-old,%20who%20has%20been%20appointed%20Hougang%20United%E2%80%99s%20head%20coach%20this%20season.%0AHe%20was%20handed%20the%20reins%20after%20leading%20the%20Singapore%20Premier%20League%20(SPL)%20club%20to%20their%20first%20piece%20of%20silverware%20%E2%80%93%20the%202022%20Singapore%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20as%20an%20interim%20coach.%0AAs%20a%20boy,%20Firdaus%20was%20allowed%20to%20use%20the%20computer%20only%20on%20weekends%20and%20would%20look%20forward%20all%20week%20to%20sitting%20in%20front%20of%20his%20desktop%20to%20manage%20English%20Premier%20League%20side%20Newcastle%20United.%0ADuring%20the%20week,%20he%20would%20shortlist%20players%20and%20jot%20their%20names%20down%20in%20a%20notebook%20during%20lessons%20and%20plan%20how%20he%20would%20deliver%20success%20to%20the%20Magpies%20in%20the%20virtual%20world.%20He%20said:%20%E2%80%9CI%20enjoyed%20the%20thrill%20of%20picking%20the%20kind%20of%20players%20I%20wanted%20in%20my%20team%20and%20I%20would%20spend%20hours%20organising%20my%20team%20and%20the%20tactics%20that%20I%20wanted%20to%20use.%0A%E2%80%9CI%20was%20obsessed%20with%20the%20game%20and%20it%20was%20what%20I%20enjoyed%20doing%20most%20in%20my%20younger%20days.%0A%E2%80%9CI%20did%20like%20to%20play%20football%20with%20my%20friends%20but%20I%20also%20loved%20CM.%20The%20game%20made%20me%20want%20to%20learn%20more%20about%20tactics%20and%20increased%20my%20knowledge%20of%20football.%E2%80%9D%0AFirdaus%20is%20not%20alone%20in%20going%20from%20computer%20game%20to%20the%20dugout.%20Reims%20coach%20William%20Still,%2030,%20the%20youngest%20manager%20in%20France%E2%80%99s%20Ligue%201,%20has%20said%20that%20his%20interest%20in%20coaching%20came%20from%20Football%20Manager,%20the%20successor%20to%20CM.%0AAs%20his%20fascination%20with%20managing%0Aa%20team%20grew,%20Firdaus%20frequented%20the%20National%20Library%20to%20borrow%20books%20on%20football%20tactics%20and%20training.%20He%20would%20then%20put%20that%20knowledge%20into%20practice%20with%20his%20friends.%20The%20Pasir%20Ris%20Crest%20Secondary%20School%20student%20would%20recruit%20players%20for%20a%20social%20team%20called%20Eastwich,%20conduct%20training%20sessions%0Aand%20arrange%20tournaments%20at%20Pasir%20Ris%20Park.%0ABut%20he%20also%20wanted%20to%20be%20a%20professional%20footballer.%20At%2018,%20he%20was%20in%20Paya%20Lebar%20Punggol%E2%80%99s%20youth%20team%20but%20an%20ankle%20ligament%20injury,%20coupled%20with%20an%20acceptance%20that%20he%20was%20not%20good%20enough,%20saw%20him%20abandon%20his%20aspirations.%0AAt%2019,%20while%20pursuing%20a%20diploma%20in%20business%20process%20and%20systems%20engineering%20at%20Temasek%20Polytechnic,%20he%20enrolled%20for%20an%20introductory%20coaching%20course%20and%20then%20achieved%20his%20first%20certification%20%E2%80%93%20the%20%E2%80%9CC%E2%80%9D%20licence%20%E2%80%93%20while%20doing%20national%20service.%0AToday,%20he%20is%20close%20to%20completing%0Athe%20Asian%20Football%20Confederation%20professional%20diploma,%20the%20highest%20level%20of%20coaching%20accreditation%20issued%20by%20the%20region%E2%80%99s%20go|url-status=dead|archive-date=2023-02-07|title=FROM GAME TO MATCH DAY|via=[[PressReader]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JQ74uHU0HY|title=THE DEPUTY: FIRDAUS KASSIM|website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref>
On 17 April 2023, Kassim was demoted to Hougang United youth team after failing to win any matches since they won the opening match in the [[2023 Singapore Premier League]] season.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=David |date=2023-04-17 |title=SPL bottom team Hougang replace head coach Firdaus Kassim with Marko Kraljevic |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/spl-bottom-team-hougang-replace-head-coach-firdaus-kassim-with-marko-kraljevic |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=[[The Straits Times]] |language=en}}</ref> [[Marko Kraljević (footballer)|Marko Kraljević]], the head of youth at Hougang United took over as interim head coach.<ref name=":0" />
=== Lion City Sailors === In January 2024, Firdaus was appointed as the head of development for [[Lion City Sailors FC|Lion City Sailors]] academy.
On 9 July 2024, Firdaus was appointed as the manager of the U21 side with immediate effect. They were crowned 2024–25 Singapore Premier League U21 league champions at the end of the season cruising with an impressive record of 19 wins and 3 draws in 24 league matches.
===Singapore U23===
On 25 June 2025, FAS appointed Firdaus as the new head coach for the [[Singapore national under-23 football team|Singapore U23 national team]] where he will focus on the [[2025 SEA Games]] campaign with the squad.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fas.org.sg/much-in-store-for-singapore-football-in-exciting-second-half-of-2025/|title=Much in store for Singapore football in exciting second half of 2025|website=FAS|date=25 June 2025}}</ref>
=== Young Lions === FAS also appointed Firdaus as the new head coach of the [[Singapore Premier League]] club [[Young Lions FC|Young Lions]] on the same day he was appointed as the Singapore U23 head coach.
==Managerial statistics== {{updated|match played 14 March 2026}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Managerial record by team and tenure |- !rowspan="2"|Team !rowspan="2"|Nat. !rowspan="2"|From !rowspan="2"|To !colspan="5"|Record !rowspan="2"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- !{{Tooltip|G|Games managed}} !{{Tooltip|W|Games won}} !{{Tooltip|D|Games drawn}} !{{Tooltip|L|Games lost}} !{{Tooltip|Win %|Win percentage}} |- |align="left"|[[Hougang United F.C.|Hougang United]] |{{flagicon|Singapore}} |align="left"|22 October 2022 |align="left"|17 April 2023 {{WDL|15|5|2|8}} |{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} |- |align="left"|[[Singapore national under-23 football team|Singapore U23]] |{{flagicon|Singapore}} |align="left"|25 June 2025 |align="left"|Present {{WDL|5|0|0|5}} |{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} |- |align="left"|[[Young Lions FC|Young Lions]] |{{flagicon|Singapore}} |align="left"|25 June 2025 |align="left"|Present {{WDL|14|1|2|11}} |{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} |- !colspan="4"|Career Total {{WDLtot|34|6|4|24}} ! |}
== Honours ==
=== Manager ===
==== Hougang United ==== * [[Singapore Cup]]: [[2022 Singapore Cup|2022]]
==== Lion City Sailors U21 ==== * 2024-25 Singapore Premier League U21 Champions
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Firdaus Kassim}} [[Category:Expatriate football managers in Laos]] [[Category:Expatriate football managers in Thailand]] [[Category:Hougang United FC managers]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Singapore Premier League managers]] [[Category:Singaporean expatriate football managers]] [[Category:Singaporean expatriate sportspeople in Laos]] [[Category:Singaporean expatriate sportspeople in Thailand]] [[Category:Singaporean football managers]] [[Category:1987 births]]