Singapore to face Cambodia, S. Korea and HK in inaugural U-16 girls' competition for Lion City Cup
SINGAPORE – Supported by the Asian Football Confederation's Enhance Programme, the Lion City Cup's first Under-16 tournament for girls will see hosts Singapore take on Cambodia, South Korea and Hong Kong at the Jalan Besar Stadium from July 8-13.
In a media statement on June 26, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) also announced that the 29th edition of the youth tournament will continue to feature an U-16 boys' category, with Singapore, Cambodia, Hong Kong and the Philippines taking part.
The teams that finish top after three matches in the round-robin tournament will be crowned champions.
FAS general secretary Chew Chun-Liang said in the statement: 'This year's edition marks an exciting new chapter in the Lion City Cup story. We are excited to have our girls involved in what is an important platform to showcase their ability to Singapore.
'Introducing the girls' tournament not only raises the profile of the women's game here, it also ensures that the Lion City Cup remains at the forefront of regional youth development.'
The Singapore U-16 girls' team will be led by Yeong Sheau Shyan, the Lion City Sailors' head of women's football.
Yeong, who won back-to-back Women's Premier League (WPL) titles with the Sailors in 2022 and 2023, said: 'We are making headway in improving the women's game here, and I'm delighted that we are expanding the space to include our young girls, and provide them an opportunity to compete at this level, in front of their family and friends.
'I'm looking forward to putting in the work to prepare our girls to grab that opportunity with both hands. Despite their tender age, some of our players already have a couple of seasons' experience in the WPL and I look forward to them displaying their quality in the Lion City Cup.'
Calling it a huge honour to be part of the first competition for girls at the Lion City Cup, Singapore U-16 girls' captain Tyan Foong said: 'This is a fantastic platform for us to show what we're capable of, and we're really excited to play in front of our friends, family and local fans at Jalan Besar Stadium.'
The girls will kick off the competition on July 8 with Cambodia taking on Hong Kong at 5pm, before Singapore play South Korea at 8pm.
The following day, the boys will take to the pitch with Hong Kong meeting Cambodia at 5pm before Singapore face the Philippines at 8pm.
Ashraf Ariffin, who is the Lion City Sailors' academy manager, will be the Singapore Under-16 boys' coach at the Lion City Cup.
PHOTO: FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
Ashraf Ariffin, who is the Sailors' academy manager, will be the Singapore U-16 boys' coach.
He said: 'We have some exciting talent coming through the ranks and this tournament is a platform for them to showcase their abilities. Results are important of course, but what will be most important is the team growth and individual development during the tournament.'
Singapore U-16 boys' captain Zaki Jumlan said they are looking forward to testing themselves against quality opposition and see how far they have come as a group, adding: 'It will also be a good gauge of where we stand as we prepare for the AFC U-17 qualifiers.'
While both coaches are from the Sailors set-up, FAS deputy president Desmond Ong said in a separate statement announcing their appointments that they have earned their place.
'They're there because they're the best in class here, and the Sailors had the resources to bring them to the club,' said the former BG Tampines Rovers chairman.
'If they can do with our national teams what they have done with their own teams, we should lean on them so we can get our teams up to a competitive level quickly, then build from there.'
Tournament tickets, priced at $12 for adults and $6 for concession card holders, are available through Ticketek and the FAS website.
First staged in 1977, the Lion City Cup was the world's first international youth football tournament for national teams, and was widely recognised as the inspiration behind the U-16 World Championship, now known as the U-17 World Cup, which was introduced in 1985.
Over the years, the Lion City Cup has attracted youth sides from national teams as well as top clubs such as England's Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam and Brazil's Flamengo.
Players who have gone on to become top professionals include Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui, Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones and Girona midfielder Donny van de Beek.
Singapore Under-16 hat-trick hero Ikhsan Fandi shooting at goal in a 3-3 draw against Liverpool U-15 in the 2015 Lion City Cup.
PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER
On the home front, the tournament also served as a launchpad for many Lions including Fandi Ahmad, his sons Irfan and Ikhsan, Hariss Harun, Safuwan Baharudin and Izwan Mahbud.
After an eight-year hiatus, the competition returned in 2023 with Thailand's BG Pathum United beating Malaysia's Selangor, Indonesia's Borneo and Singapore U-15s to the title. The Thai side lost to Japan's Tokyo Verdy in 2024, with Johor Darul Takzim and the Singapore U-16s also taking part.
David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.
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