FORMER Scottish footballer and Liverpool manager, William ‘Bill’ Shankly once said; “A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe that you are the best and then make sure that you are.”
Football success does not only come from the field of play. Administration of the sport plays a major role in the victories.
In Fiji, among those who shaped Fijian football’s success is Younas Mohammad Haniff.
He is now 80. His birthday was on January 1.
He was among those who helped the sport grow in Fiji and who masterminded the success of Fiji FA in the administration of the sport.
Fiji FA leads the way in Fijian sports in owning properties and having business investments to help in its growth.
Haniff helped Fiji host a number of international matches against teams from the English Premier League, and countries such as New Zealand and Australia.
Today, he sits back and talks about his service to his country and the sport he loves — football. He actively served from 1975 to 1986.
Haniff is a life member of the Fiji FA.
He was the person who made some crucial decisions and set goals, buying properties for Fiji FA, including the Fiji FA House at Gladstone Rd, adjacent to Albert Park in Suva.
“During my time of football, it was quite active and things were lively. There were a lot of concerns that football was followed by many. I started as a referee. I officiated in top matches at the Inter-District Championship,” he said.
“I topped the exam which was conducted by an official from Singapore. I was also in Suva Football Association for few years before contesting for the post of the Fiji FA national secretary.”
Haniff had a vision to take Fiji football to another level.
He helped arrange for some international friendly matches here.
Fiji FA administration
Haniff helped Fiji FA shift office from the West to Suva.
“I saw the administration was not moving and then I thought the administration should move to Suva, so I contested and won the election in Labasa. Bobby Tikaram was the secretary at that time and he used to have a typewriter and a cabinet,” he said.
“He used to keep the files in that cabinet. Being a national organisation, it was not proper to have such things with no office. We had very little money and then I asked the Fiji Public Service Association at Waimanu Road to give us an office there and we paid rent.”
Australia vs Fiji
Haniff was a Fiji FA executive when Fiji defeated Australia 1-0 in a friendly match in 1977.
The Australians were preparing for the 1978 FIFA World Cup. Fiji’s goal was scored by Jimmy Okete in the 85th minute at the then Buckhurst Park, Suva.
Fiji also beat Australia in 1988 with a goal from Ravuama Madigi under coach, the late Billy Singh.
“I negotiated with the Australian Football Federation and asked them; ‘Why don’t you let us play against Australia as a warm-up match.’ Australia agreed with the people from Oceania. They had a dispute with the Chinese Taipei team and they did not want to go and play there. They opted to play here and it was a good time for Fiji,” Haniff remembered.
“We used to have a lot of international matches where Tahiti played Fiji in a two-match series. They played one in Lautoka and they walked out. Chandar Dip Sharma was the manager for Fiji. The pavilions were crowded with people. We used to travel around the Pacific.”
Haniff said he made some good decisions with business houses then negotiated for air travel tickets and called teams to play in Fiji.
“I even called Tottenham Hotspur to play in Fiji in 1976 when they were on a tour to Fiji, Canada and Australia. Hussein Sahib made a name for himself when they played in Lautoka. He took one beautiful shot, but the ball went out. If it had gone into the net, it would have been a beautiful history,” he said.
“I went to Spain for the World Cup and there I negotiated with EPL team Luton Town Football Club to come from England to play against Fiji.”
Look back at Haniff’s achievements
1956- Active player for St Columbus and Western Star
1962-1965: Assistant secretary, Suva Soccer Referees Association
1966: Awarded Fiji FA referees badge
1965-1969: Assistant Secretary- Fiji FA
1966-1969: Nominated International Referee in FIFA list of referees
1967-1969: Assistant Secretary – Suva Soccer Association
1969: Secretary- Suva Soccer Association, manager for Suva on New Caledonia tour
1970&1982: Fiji FA delegate to FIFA congress and World Cup in Mexico City and Spain respectively
1972-1975: Secretary – Suva Soccer Association
1975: Manager for Fiji soccer to South Pacific Games in Guam
1975-1986: National Secretary- Fiji FA
Since 1977: Executive member of OFC and represented Fiji FA at Taipei, Auckland, Port Vila, Noumea, Australia and Fiji FA OFC meetings. Member of OFC Soccer Development Committee
1976-1978: Vice-president – Suva Soccer Association
1977: Attended FIFA seminar in soccer administration
1978: Chairman of committee to purchase the Fiji FA property at Gladstone Rd and initiated its purchase
1976-1982: National League board secretary. first secretary clinched first sponsorship for Fiji FA with Air New Zealand National League
1979: Chairman and the chief organiser for soccer for South Pacific Games held at the National Stadium
