Mohammad Isa bin Abdul Halim (born 15 May 1986) is a

Singaporean Singaporeans are the citizens and nationals of the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is home to a people of a variety of ethno-racial-religious origins, with the city-state itself being a multi-racial, multi-cultural, m ...

former

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who last played as a defensive-midfielder for

Singapore Premier League The Singapore Premier League, commonly abbreviated as the SPL, officially known as the AIA Singapore Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a men's professional football league sanctioned by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), wh ...

club

Geylang International Geylang International Football Club is a professional football club based in Bedok, Singapore, that competes in Singapore Premier League, the top division of football in Singapore. The club was founded in 1973 and played their first season ...

and the Singapore national team. He started out playing football as a

centre-forward In the sport of association football, a forward (attacker or striker) is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position which primarily plays further up the pitch than Midfielder, midfielders and Defender (association football), d ...

in his youth. Isa holds a AFC ‘A’ Diploma Coaching license.

Club career

Woodlands Wellington

Isa started his professional career at the age of 19 playing for

Woodlands Wellington Woodlands Wellington Football Club was a professional association football, football club based in Woodlands, Singapore, Woodlands, Singapore which played in the S.League, the top division of football in Singapore. The club took part in S.League ...

in the

2005 S.League 2005 S.League was the tenth season of Singapore's professional Association football, football league. It was won by Tampines Rovers FC, Tampines Rovers, which was their second league title. Changes from 2004 * Paya Lebar Punggol joined the leagu ...

season. In his first season, he was part of the club starting line up in the 2005 Singapore Cup final where Woodlands Wellington lost 3–2 to

Home United Lion City Sailors Football Club, commonly referred to as the Sailors or LCS, is a Singaporean professional football club based in Bishan. It competes in the Singapore Premier League, the top tier of the Singapore football league system. Founded ...

Young Lions

In 2006, Isa moved to Young Lions while he was serving his compulsory

National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...

. On 22 May 2006, he scored his first professional career goal in a 3–0 win over

Albirex Niigata (S) , simply known as Albirex Niigata (S), is a football (soccer), football club based in Jurong East, Singapore, which plays in the Singapore Premier League. The club is a satellite team of Albirex Niigata of J2 League, Japan. Mostly the team is mad ...

. In the 2008 S.League season, Isa was named the club captain for the campaign.

Home United

On 23 April 2009, Isa moved to

after 4 seasons at Young Lions. He make his club debut on 25 April in a 4–0 lost against

Super Reds Yishun Super Reds Football Club was a South Korean professional football club based in Yishun, Singapore, which played as a foreign team in S.League between 2007 and 2009. History The creation of the club in 2007 was driven by the Korean comm ...

. On 19 November 2011, Isa won his first major trophy after helping Home United to win the

2011 Singapore Cup The 2011 Singapore Cup (known as the RHB Singapore Cup for sponsorship reasons) starts in June 2011. It is the 14th staging of the annual Singapore Cup tournament. 11 S.League clubs and 5 invited foreign teams play in this edition. The cup was a ...

in a 1–0 win over Albirex Niigata (S).

LionsXII

On 9 December 2011, Isa was announced as a player for the newly created club,

LionsXII LionsXII ("Lions Twelve"), also known as Singapore LionsXII, was a Singaporean youth football club founded in 2011 that played in the Malaysia Super League, the top tier of Malaysian football, from their inaugural season until their dissolutio ...

which will compete in the

2012 Malaysia Super League The 2012 Liga Super () also known as the Astro Liga Super for sponsorship reasons is the ninth season of the Liga Super, the top-tier professional association football, football league in Malaysia.

. In the club debut season, they ended up as the runner-ups in the league. After Hariss Harun left the club, Isa was made the club captain in the 2015 season. Isa was part of the club player that help to win the

2013 Malaysia Super League The 2013 Liga Super () also known as the Astro Liga Super for sponsorship reasons, is the 10th season of the Liga Super, the top-tier professional football league in Malaysia.

and the

2015 Malaysia FA Cup The 2015 Malaysia FA Cup (2015 XOX Piala FA) was the 26th season of the Malaysia FA Cup, a knockout competition for Malaysia's state football association and clubs. Pahang were the defending champions after beating FELDA United 2–1 the previou ...

Tampines Rovers

On 27 June 2015, after the dissolvement of

, Isa joined

Tampines Rovers Tampines Rovers Football Club (currently known as BG Tampines Rovers due to sponsorship reasons) is a professional association football, football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that competes in the Singapore Premier League, the top tier of t ...

, in the process teaming up with his former coach V. Sundramoorthy. He make his debut on 1 July in the 2015 Singapore League Cup match against

Warriors A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...

Geylang International

In January 2016, Isa moved to rivals,

for the 2016 season where he was named as the club captain for the campaign. He make his debut on 25 February coming on as a late substitution in a 2–0 win over Young Lions. In January 2018, Isa announced his retirement from football.

International career

Youth

Isa was also part of the Singapore U23 team that took part in the

2005 Southeast Asian Games The 2005 Southeast Asian Games, officially known as the 23rd Southeast Asian Games, were a Southeast Asian multi-sport event held in Manila, Philippines. This was the third time the Philippines hosted the games and its first time since 1991. ...

in Philippines and also won a bronze medal for the 2007 edition in

Korat The Korat cat (, ) is a silver-tipped blue-grey, short-haired Cat breed, breed of Cat, domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of Adipose tissue, body fat. Its body is semi-cobby, and unusually heavy for its size. It is an ...

, Thailand.

Senior

Isa made his debut for the

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

on 11 October 2005 against

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

. Isa was part of the team that won the

2007 AFF Championship The 2007 AFF Championship (officially designated as the ASEAN Football Championship 2007) was the 6th edition of the AFF Championship, the Association football, football championship of Southeast Asia. The group stage was co-hosted by Singapore ...

and the

2012 AFF Championship The 2012 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and officially known as the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 9th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of Southeast Asia. It was co-hosted for group stage by Malaysia and Thailand a ...

. On 29 February 2012, he scored his first international goal in a 7–1 lost against

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

during the

2014 FIFA World Cup qualification The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA#Structure, FIFA confederations. The 2014 FIFA World Cup featured 32 teams, with one place reserved for the host nation, Brazil national football team, Bra ...

at the

Grand Hamad Stadium The Grand Hamad Stadium (), also known as the Al–Arabi Sports Club Stadium, Al-Arabi SC Stadium or Al-Arabi Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Doha, Qatar. The stadium holds 13,000 people, and is currently used mostly for staging football m ...

Coaching career

Singapore Sports School

After hanging up his playing boots in 2017, Isa made the switch to coaching where he became the

Singapore Sports School Singapore Sports School (SSP) is a specialised Independent school, independent boarding school under the purview of Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth of the Government of Singapore that offers an integrated sports and academic programme to ...

football head coach. In 2023, he guided them to win the 'B' Division boys’ League One championship final where it was the school's first national title since 2018.

Tokyo Verdy

As part of the ‘Coaches Overseas Attachment’ pilot programme by 'Unleash The Roar' football project, Isa alongside

Noh Alam Shah Mohd Noh Alam Shah (born 3 September 1980), known as Noh Alam Shah, is a Singaporean football coach and former professional association football, football player. who is the head coach of Singapore Premier League club Tanjong Pagar United. Once ...

embarked on an overseas coaching attachment with Japanese top-flight club

Tokyo Verdy is a Japanese professional football club based in Inagi, Tokyo. The club currently competes in the J1 League, following promotion from the J2 League in 2023. History Founded as Yomiuri Football Club in 1969, Tokyo Verdy is one of the mo ...

of the

J1 League The , the J.League or the for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Japan and the highest level of the Japanese football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation ...

. Both Isa and Alam Shah are the first batch of coaches under the programme where they will be immersed in the day-to-day running of the club. The duo hold an Asian Football Confederation ‘A’ Diploma Coaching license, and will be support coaches for the Japanese team. They have started their overseas coaching attachment with Tokyo Verdy since 24 May 2024 and will be with the club until 10 December 2024.

Personal life

According to an interview done in November 2007, Isa only got interested in football after watching a match Singapore and

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

with his grandfather. Isa started playing football competitively when he was 13 years old, back in his secondary school days, playing for Greenridge Secondary School. But it was only two years later when he got selected for

and Singapore Under-16 teams did he take football seriously."At first, i didn't like football..."
/ref>

Sponsorship and media

Isa used to front the football side of things for German-sportswear company,

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...

in Singapore along with other teammates in the national team like

Lionel Lewis Lionel Lewis (born 16 December 1982) is a Singaporean former footballer who last played for Singapore national football team as a goalkeeper. He played for Home United from 2004 to 2012, having played for Geylang United and the Young Lions in ...

. In February 2008, he with a dozen other world-renowned footballers like

Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...

Arjen Robben Arjen Robben (; born 23 January 1984) is a Dutch former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Winger (association football), winger. Known for his Dribbling#Association football, dribbling skills, speed, and long-range s ...

and

David Villa David Villa Sánchez (; born 3 December 1981) is a Spanish former professional association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. Regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Villa is th ...

graced the Adidas worldwide launch of the F50 TUNiT football boot at the Centre Convencions Internacional in Barcelona, Spain. In 2015, Isa became the NKF Ambassador where he promote healthy living and prevent kidney disease. In 2020, He has switched over to Puma along with other Singaporean footballers such as Shi Jiayi,

Juma'at Jantan Juma'at bin Jantan (born 23 February 1984) is a Singaporean former professional footballer who played as a right back or a right-sided midfielder for National Football League club, South Avenue SC and previously the Singapore national team. J ...

and Erwan Gunawan.

Career statistics

International

International goals

Honours

Club

Home United

Singapore Cup The Singapore Cup is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic Singaporean football. Established in 1998, it is the foremost prestigious cup competition in the country. It is open to clubs in the Singapore Premier League. Since ...

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

LionsXII

Malaysia Super League The Malaysia Super League (), known simply as the Super League (), is the men's top professional Football in Malaysia, football division of the Malaysian football league system. Administered by the Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnersh ...

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

Malaysia FA Cup The Malaysia FA Cup () is an annual association football, football competition in Malaysia, established in 1990. It was previously managed by the Football Association of Malaysia, before being transferred to the Football Malaysia LLP, Malaysian ...

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

International

Singapore

AFF Championship The ASEAN Championship (formerly known as the AFF Championship or AFF Cup), currently known as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the biennial football tournament organized by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) for men's natio ...

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

Southeast Asian Games The Southeast Asian Games, commonly known as SEA Games is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with sup ...

: Bronze Medal – 2007

References

External links

data2.7m.cn
* *
fas.org.sgfas.org.sggoal.comlionsxii.sg
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isa Halim 1986 births Living people Singaporean men's footballers Singapore men's international footballers Woodlands Wellington FC players Lion City Sailors FC players Singapore Premier League players LionsXII players Singaporean people of Malay descent Men's association football midfielders Men's association football defenders Malaysia Super League players Young Lions FC players 21st-century Singaporean sportsmen Tampines Rovers FC players Footballers at the 2006 Asian Games SEA Games bronze medalists for Singapore SEA Games medalists in football Competitors at the 2007 SEA Games Asian Games footballers for Singapore Singaporean football managers Singaporean expatriate football managers Expatriate football managers in Japan Singaporean expatriate sportspeople in Japan