Singapore’s Under-16 girls ended their inaugural Lion City Cup campaign on a high, finishing in second spot – behind champions Korea Republic – after they produced a cohesive 2-0 victory over Cambodia in their final match of the tournament.
Speaking to the media after the match, Head Coach Yeong Sheau Shyan was pleased with the way her team improved over the course of the tournament.
“I think the girls did well to absorb as much as they could. And they followed (our) instructions really well. At the same time,when we gave them instructions, they trusted us and they dared to try,” she said, after the team showed bravery in their free-flowing buildup play.
Ain Salleh continued her goalscoring exploits, giving Cambodia barely any time to breathe, the 15-year-old latched onto teammate Liyana Rickit’s well-timed pass in just the fifth minute of the game and blazed her shot into the roof of the net.
The duo nearly linked up again in the 15th minute when a teasing free-kick delivery narrowly evaded Ain, who had timed her late run almost perfectly.
The crowd erupted in cheers when Yuvika Suresh put the ball into the Cambodia net for the second time, but it was ruled out for offside.
Another chance went begging for the hosts when a close-range Ain effort ricocheted off the bar just after the half-hour mark.
It was all Singapore in the first period despite Cambodia mounting a strong resistance. Midfielder Rayna Balqia slipped a perfectly-weighted pass expertly around the backline to the feet of Ain but Cambodian keeper Khann Sokhim was alert to the danger.
Despite exerting early pressure, Yeong revealed that she moved to fire up her players at half-time.
“After we got back into the dressing room we reorganised. You could see that the team came out with a different mentality. We started to play the ball more, we started to hold the ball and keep possession through the middle, through the sides. And that’s when we really started to show a bit more of ourselves,” she said.
The hosts came out strong as Verona Lim and Ain almost combined for a stunning team goal in the 50th minute, only for Khann to pull off an equally impressive diving save.
Ain turned provider when she picked out substitute Risqya Rizqyqa with a looping cross. Khann could not claim the delivery allowing Risqya to slot home the loose ball for 2-0.
Risqya wheeled away in celebration with her teammates joining her at the corner flag as they basked in the deafening cheers of the home crowd.
The celebrations continued after the final whistle as the players indulged in photos with family and friends who came to support them.
“I think we have some die-hard fans in the stands – family members, relatives, and some of our players who missed out on the tournament. They have been very supportive throughout the tournament,” Yeong said.
With the Lion City Cup done and dusted, the ASEAN U-16 Women’s Championship and the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers are next on the young Lionesses’ calendar.
Looking ahead, Yeong noted that there would be personnel changes for the competing squads due to competition clashes and academic commitments.
“We will bring in some younger girls and then there’s a need to bond the team and maybe change some tactics. We’re also missing a few players for O-level prelims, so it will be a different squad, but we are still gonna try our best. It’s good for the younger girls to have a chance,” she explained.
For Cambodia head coach Ouk Suthy, the impact of competing in the Lion City Cup went far beyond just results.
“We have plans to gather the players to train more together, at least twice a week,” he said.
“This tournament is very amazing, especially for my country, because there are no competitions in this age group. So now (after this appearance), this will promote and raise the profile of my team and more girls will want to become national team players.”
In the afternoon match, Korea Republic clinched the inaugural U16 girls’ title in style, beating Hong Kong, China 8-1 to seal the crown.
The Lion City Cup wraps up on Sunday (13 July) with the final round of matches in the U16 boys’ competition. Cambodia will take on the Philippines at 5pm, followed by Singapore facing Hong Kong at 8pm.
Hong Kong and the Philippines are currently tied at the top with four points each, while Singapore sit third with three points and Cambodia remains without a point.
Tickets are available from Ticketek and at the ticket booth at the North Gate of the Jalan Besar Stadium on matchdays.
