- Fandi bin Ahmad is a Singaporean professional football manager and former player. He is the current technical advisor and head coach of Malaysia Super League club Sri Pahang.
We know that Fandi Ahmad wife Wendy Jacobs has been through a lot in her life, but those events could not diminish her love for him.
Wendy is a model from South Africa who moved to Singapore with her family and decided to stay there for her work.
Fandi bin Ahmad is a professional soccer manager and former Singapore player born on May 29, 1962.
Ahmad primarily played as a striker during his professional career, but he occasionally played as a midfielder.
He holds the honor of being the first Singaporean soccer player to play in Europe.
Further, he is also the first Singaporean millionaire sportsperson and the first Singaporean sportsperson to have a published biography.
A faithful Muslim, Ahmad has devoted his life to his religion abstaining from drinking or smoking. He is very humble, loyal, and empathetic.
Ahmad has received the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat, a Public Service Medal, to honor an individual’s services to the country.
He currently serves as Sri Pahang’s head coach and technical adviser in the Malaysia Super League.
Fandi Ahmad Wife Wendy Jacobs: All About Her Life
Ahmad is happily married to the South African Model Wendy Jacobs. They tied the knot in 1996.
Due to the love, she had for Ahmad, Wendy decided to convert to Islam before marrying him.
She attended Islamic classes at the Muslim Converts’ Association. After that, she enrolled in a 14-week religious study at Darul Arqam on Holland Road.
When she converted to Islam in October 1996, she took the name “Nur Sarah Abdullah,” which means “bright light.”
Wendy and Fandi married on December 6, 1996. They had their akad nikah (Islamic marriage solemnization ceremony) at Fandi’s semi-detached house in Yio Chu Kang and their wedding meal at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
The couple conducted an open wedding reception with around 10,000 well-wishers at a soccer pitch in Yishun.
People sarcastically referred to the occasion as “a steam bath,” referring to the huge crowd assembled to celebrate their wedding.
Wendy and Fandi honeymooned at Disneyland.
Wendy’s Life Growing Up From South Africa To Singapore
Wendy was born to Human Resource Director Frederick Jacobs and homemaker Charmaine Jacobs in Cape Town, South Africa.
She is the second eldest of five children, with four sisters: Natasha, Tracy, Karin, and Lana.
Wendy is said to have been quite close to her family, having grown up with principles such as “respecting your elders” and diligently accumulating money “for the future.”
This meant she had some rules to follow, including a curfew to reach home before midnight as a child.
Wendy and her family relocated to Singapore in 1995 in response to her father’s job posting.
Her family eventually returned to Cape Town, but Wendy preferred to stay in Singapore because she had job opportunities there.
Wendy was a student who participated in athletics and earned outstanding grades. She also used to compete in track and field (sprinting) when she was in high school.
Furthermore, her best friend, Niki, characterized her as someone who “plays all sports except soccer and frequents the gym.”
She attended Plumstead and Immaculata High Schools in South Africa. Wendy studied Marketing in Singapore.
Wendy Has Had To Battle Through A Lot Of Health Issues
Ahmad’s wife fell terribly in their Jakarta home’s bathroom in 2008. As a result, she lost her sight and mobility on her right side. She had epileptic seizures as well.
She was hospitalized and moved to three hospitals within three months of the incident. However, Indonesian doctors were unable to identify her condition.
She was discharged from the hospital and returned home in November 2008.
Furthermore, Wendy had a heart arrest in February 2009 and was transported to a hospital in Jakarta.
Subsequently, they transported her back to Singapore in an induced coma via a private SOS plane.
Then, they admitted her to Gleneagles Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit in Singapore.
Wendy gradually regained movement and the capacity to speak in May 2009.
She recovered at the home of Ahmad R. Sasikumar, who is a family friend of Ahmad.
Wendy then returned to Jakarta to spend time with Fandi and her children.
It apparently took her 6 months to be able to communicate with her children and do basic duties like walking, bathing, and even driving.
Wendy claimed in a 2013 interview that, while steadily recovering, she still suffered from seizures and used 10 medicine pills daily.
Fandi Ahmad Children He Raised Them Right
Ahmad and his wife, Wendy, are proud parents of five children doing well in their respective lives.
They have four sons Irfan, Ikhsan, Ilhan, and Iryan; their daughter is Iman.
All four sons have followed in their father’s footsteps and are soccer players.
Irfan and Ikshan have gone all the way to Europe to show their impressive performance in trials for some big clubs like Chelsea, Milan and Arsenal.
Irfan plays as a center-back for Thai League 1 club BG Pathum United and the Singapore national team.
Ilhan plays for Challenger Pro League club Deinze while Iryan, the youngest, plays for Singapore Premier League club Hougang United.
Fandi’s daughter Iman decided to pursue a career in singing instead. She signed with the music label Universal Music Singapore in February 2021.
Iman names Rihanna and Beyonce among her musical influences. She had initially kept her music a secret from her parents.
However, when her parents did eventually find out about their daughter’s achievements, they were never more than proud of her.
