Mohamad Akbar Bin Abdul Nawas,[1] also known as Akbar Nawas (born 28 November 1975), is a Singaporean football coach. He was recently the head coach of Nakhon Pathom United in Thai League 1. Nawas has an advanced diploma in business administration from University of Wales and has finished his degree in business administration and marketing from the same University. Nawas mostly prefers to use the 4-1-3-2 formation throughout his entire time as a coach.
In 2014, Nawas was the assistant coach to the technical director and coach in the Singapore U21 and at the same time, the youth development manager for the Football Association of Singapore from 2011 to 2014. While doing his share of work in the FAS, Nawas assisted LionsXII head coach, Fandi Ahmad in training and as a match analyst for the LionsXIi in pre-season. (predominantly a U23 team with ten senior players, playing in the Malaysia Super League)
In 2015, Nawas was appointed the assistant coach of Tampines Rovers and the head coach for the Tampines Rovers U21 Reserve team who emerged as champions in the Reserve League.
Early life
As a child, football became the life of Nawas. At the age of 10, he played in the junior and senior level of the Macpherson Primary School from 1985 to 1987. And from 1988 to 1992, Nawas played in the "C" and "B" Divisions for Macpherson Secondary School.
Nawas captained the Professional Club side Trywhitt Under-19 side to third Place. He also played for the Singapore Under-19 and professional club side Trywhitt senior team. As a football player, Nawas was called up to play for the Singapore Pre–Olympic team and the national team for Under 23s and U19s.[2]
Club career
From 1998 to 1999, Nawas played for Marine Castle United in the top flight league in Singapore, the S.League. Nawas was then called up for training with the National "A" team for the Dunhill Cup after his stint with Marine Castle United. In 1999, he had an ACL operation and stopped playing competitive football.
He joined the compulsory military service in 1996 and played football in the Police Force Home team. In 1995, Nawas started to play professionally in the Singapore Football Professional teams and he was called up for the Singapore Pre-Olympic and Jakarta Squad team respectively.
Managerial career
Tampines Rovers
In 2015, Nawas first joined as the assistant coach for Tampines Rovers under V. Sundramoorthy. On 27 May 2016, as V. Sundramoorthy was appointed the head coach of Singapore national football team, Nawas was the promoted to head coach of Tampines Rovers for the 2016 season and led the team to the runners up position in the League.[3] The team scored 52 goals in total, of which 30 goals in 12 games were scored in the second half of the season when Nawas took over. He also led Tampines to the 2016 Singapore Cup Final and emerged as runners-up and was a semi-finalist in the 2016 Singapore League Cup, where he introduced the reserve team players as most of the players from the first team were away with the national team. They lost to eventual winners Albirex Niigata (S) in the League Cup semi-finals. Nawas' expertise is the attacking approach in football; this helped Tampines Rovers team to dominate possession in almost every game during his term as head coach and reduced the gap of seven points to only one point, guiding the team from fourth place to second place in the Singapore League. He led the club to a quarterfinal finish at the 2016 AFC Cup and was knocked out of the competition by eventual runners-up Bengaluru. Tampines Rovers finished as runners-up in the 2016 S. League season and the club was eligible to participate in the 2017 AFC Champions Leaguequalifying play-offs. They lose against Filipino club, Global FC in their first match thus failing to advance in the play-offs. Nawas resigned in January 2017.[4]
Global Cebu
In May 2017, it was reported that Nawas joined Global Cebu, one of the top football clubs in the Philippines, who participated in the inaugural season of the national professional Philippines Football League, Nawas became the technical consultant and later on was offered the post of a head coach, the first Singaporean coach to handle a football team from the Philippines.[5] Global Cebu made history as the first Philippines football club to reach the finals of the 2017 Singapore Cup in which they draw 2–2 but lost on penalties shoot out. He then helped the club in their 2017 AFC Cup group stage campaign with club like Johor Darul Ta'zim,Boeung Ket Angkor and Magwe. The club manage to get 5 wins and 1 lost in the group and ended up as group leaders which see them face against Home United in the Zonal semi-finals but they lost 5–4 on aggregate.
Chennai City
In March 2018, he joined I-League side Chennai City as head coach. Nawas, who was the former technical consultant of the club, takes over as the head coach from V.Soundararajan after the team had finished a disappointing eighth position in the 2017–18 I-League.[6] In his first full season, he helped Chennai City overcome all odds to win the 2018–19 I-League season.[7] He gained lots of praise and recognition for his work with the team, and his contract was renewed for the 2019–20 season.[8] On 26 October 2020, Nawas parted ways with the club by mutual consent in which countrymen, Satyasagara took over the helms.
Balestier Khalsa
On 22 October 2021, Akbar was announced as the head coach of Balestier Khalsa,[9] succeeding Marko Kraljevic, who left a week prior. According to a club statement, Akbar has penned a two-year contract "worth more than S$170,000”. However, less than 1 year into the contract, Akbar would tender his resignation, and join Thai League 2 side Udon Thani,[10] less than a week after a record 6–1 win against Hougang United.
Controversy
It was revealed that his time at Balestier Khalsa turn sour when he was made to become the kit man and needing to wash the training bibs after the team training at the St Wilfrid's Sports Complex. Nawas, along with assistant coach, Razif Ariff would then head back to Toa Payoh Stadium and get the bibs washed and dried following the training session, all because the club did not have a full-time kit manager who would look after the team's training needs.
Udon Thani
On 1 September 2022, Nawas joined Thai League 2 club, Udon Thani. it is understood that Nawas will initially act as the club's technical director, while also serving as a head coach. On 18 December 2023, Nawas stepped down as head coach to become the sporting director of the club while Mavi Lopes took over the head coach position. On 17 February 2023, Nawas was appointed as the club head coach again while also keeping his job as the club sporting director.
Nakhon Pathom United
Nakhon Pathom United president, Panuwat Sasomsup, an admirer of his coaching abilities, enquire the possibilities of Nawas to coach the club for the recently promoted club which is competing in the 2023–24 Thai League 1 season which on 5 June 2023, the club announced Nawas as their new head coach who signed an initial one-year contract in which he was the accolade of being the first Singaporean to lead a Thai football club in the top tier. Nawas turned down offers from three Indian clubs as he was interested in the club vision. Akbar guided the club to their highest ever recorded win in their history for second time in one season with both matches coming against Mahajak Samutprakan 7–0 on 5 October 2023 and Thai Spirit 10–0 on 1 November 2023 in the 2023–24 Thai FA Cup. Akbar contract was then renewed for the 2024–25 season, however, after a string of poor performances, he resigned from his post on 10 September 2024.
