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.”

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