Aleksandar Đurić
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aleksandar Đurić | ||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Utility, Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Singapore Armed Forces FC | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of November 10, 2007 | |||
Aleksandar Đurić (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Ђурић) (born August 12, 1970, in the SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional football player who currently plays as a striker for the Singapore Armed Forces Football Club (SAFFC) in Singapore's S.League, and for the Singapore national football team.
Career
Duric was born to Serbian parents in Bosnia-Herzegovina, then Yugoslavia. He represented Bosnia-Herzegovina in canoeing at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Duric hitchhiked through four countries to get to the 1992 Summer Olympics. Once in Barcelona, he and the nine other members of the then newly independent Bosnia-Herzegovina had to borrow equipment from the Spanish and Italian Olympics committees. They themselves couldn't even take photos of their experience because "we couldn't afford cameras," laughs Duric now. Despite the hardships though, they persevered simply for the right to represent a nation that had been devastated by war.
Duric made his debut for the Singapore national team on the 9 November 2007, against Tajikistan in the first leg of the second round of the AFC 2010 World Cup qualifiers, making an immediate impact as he scored both goals in a 2-0 victory. He continued his fine form in the international stage, bagging goals in the game against Lebanon as well.
During the international friendly against Bahrain, due to the absences of captain, Indra Sahdan and vice-captain, Lionel Lewis, Duric captained the Singapore national team for the first time, possibly making him the first ever non-Singapore-born player to start a game as a captain.
Aleksandar Duric's fine performance in the 2007 S.League season won him several awards, and he was named the NTUC-Income Player of the Year, in the 2007 S-League Awards Night.
As of May 2008, halfway into the S.League 2008 season, he is currently leading the top-scorer chart.
National Team Career Statistics
Goals for Senior National Team
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | November 9, 2007 | Singapore, Singapore |  Tajikistan |
2-0 | Won | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2. | November 9, 2007 | Singapore, Singapore | Tajikistan |
2-0 | Won | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3. | January 24, 2008 | Muscat, Oman |  Kuwait |
2-0 | Won | Friendly |
| 4. | March 26, 2008 | Singapore, Singapore |  Lebanon |
2-0 | Won | 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification |
| 5. | June 2, 2008 | Singapore, Singapore |  Uzbekistan |
3-7 | Lost | 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification |
| 6. | November 29, 2008 | Petaling Jaya, Malaysia |  Malaysia |
2-2 | Draw | Friendly |
| 7. | November 29, 2008 | Petaling Jaya, Malaysia | Malaysia |
2-2 | Draw | Friendly |
Duric is currently wearing the No.9 of SAFFC.
Personal life
His family moved to Australia and he became an Australian citizen after he granted an Australian citizenship. In 2007, he changed his nationality to Singaporean after living in Singapore for eight years. He could have also played for Serbia or Bosnia, his countries of origin.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina footballers
- Singaporean footballers
- Bosnian Serbs
- Australian soccer players
- South Melbourne FC players
- Sydney Olympic players
- Singapore international footballers
- West Adelaide SC players
- Singapore Armed Forces FC players
- Canoers at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- 1970 births
- Living people
- Australians of Serbian descent
- Australians of Bosnia and Herzegovina descent