Fandi also played for Indonesia's Niac Mitra, Netherlands' Groningen as well as local Singaporean clubs Geylang United and SAFFC.

[3] After his retirement, he began his managerial career in 2000 by helming his former playing club SAFFC, before moving on to Indonesia's Pelita Raya and Malaysia's Johor Darul Takzim, while also serving as the assistant national coach on numerous occasions while and running his own Fandi Ahmad Academy.

[14] Fandi started playing as a goalkeeper, but switched to a midfield position under the advice of his teacher when he studied at Yio Chu Kang Primary[15] When he was 12, his parents divorced, after which he lived in a kampong at Jalan Eunos with his father and paternal grandparents.

He played for Kaki Bukit SC in the amateur National Football League, where he was spotted by Singapore FA coach Sebastian Yap.

In August that year, Fandi was called up for a senior national team squad for a training tour in Russia, becoming the youngest footballer to represent Singapore.

The retirement of Arshad Khamis and Dollah Kassim prompted Jita Singh, the new Singapore FA coach, to play Fandi as a striker.

[18] He enlisted for National Service in September 1980 and was given light duties, such as collecting the camp garbage, so he could continue playing for Singapore FA.

In 1981, Fandi won the FAS Footballer of the Year award for helping Singapore FA reach the Malaysia Cup final.

Fandi was just 19 while serving national service at the time and after the match, Boca's chief coach Vladislao Cap said he was keen on signing the Singaporean, whom he described as "a superb striker who can fit into any team".

It was Ajax he eventually chose, but after a three-week trial, Fandi rejected Ajax's three-year deal and with it, the opportunity to work with and be honed by the legendary Johan Cruyff and play up front with the likes of a young Marco van Basten and Jan Molby, whom he had been scouted along with but Fandi ended up signing a one-year contract with Niac Mitra instead earning S$75,000 annually, choosing to ply his trade nearer to home.

[21] A thigh injury acquired in a friendly match kept him off the field for ten weeks, but in his first Eredivisie game he scored twice in a 2–0 victory over Go Ahead Eagles.

As an April Fools' Day joke, The Straits Times published a front-page story claiming that Manchester United had signed on Fandi.

[26] After a third season at Kuala Lumpur FA, in which it won a third consecutive Malaysia Cup, Fandi signed a two-year contract with Greek club OFI Crete in 1990.

[28] Fandi missed several months of games because of heel and thigh injuries, and scored three goals to help Pahang FA win the Malaysia Cup and Malaysian League Double in 1992.

Because of injuries, Fandi was limited to mainly short substitute appearances, but he continued to score crucial goals, notably two against Cambodian side Royal Dolphins in the Asian Club Championship, until his retirement in 1999.

[18] His first senior cap came at 17 years, 3 months and 23 days, making him Singapore's youngest-ever full international, until his record was broken by Hariss Harun in 2007.

[38] During the 1991 SEA Games, Fandi scored both Singapore goals against Myanmar in the group stage, but was substituted in the semi-final match, after Indonesian fullback Herry Setyawan elbowed him in the eye.

[11] In 2011, he founded the Fandi Ahmad Academy, which organises training programmes and overseas opportunities for talented young Singaporean footballers.

[5] In 2005, Fandi become the coach of Young Lions, which rose from the bottom of the S.League in 2003 to two third-place finishes in 2004 and 2006 which up to this date remains as their highest league placing in the club history.

[45] From November 2006 to March 2010, Fandi managed Indonesian side Pelita Raya,[7] where he adopted a youth policy that helped them win promotion from the second division,[42] then guided the club to two mid-table finishes in the Indonesia Super League.

The side also paraded ex-Spanish international striker, Dani Güiza who won the Euro 2008, former SS Lazio player, Simone del Nero and as well as a host of Malaysian internationals, including Malaysia captain, Safiq Rahim and star player, Safee Sali, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha and the both twins, Aidil Zafuan and Zaquan Adha.

[48][49] Fandi was appointed as the head coach of Young Lions for the newly revamp 2018 Singapore Premier League season, replacing Richard Tardy.

He aims, together with technical director Joseph Palatsides, to enhance the pathways and structure for the development of youth players for the national teams.

In January 2023, Fandi takes over as Sri Pahang coach from Malaysian legend Dollah Salleh who had taken temporary charge after the resignation of Frenchman Christophe Gamel last season.

His team started off into season well after 11 games with 7 wins, 4 draws and 0 lost before losing the undefeated streak to Johor Darul Ta'zim 2–0.

[60] In 2023 after the match between Selangor & Sri Pahang, during the interview on Astro Arena, Malaysian legend, Azman Adnan is confirmed to be his cousin.