Combined girls’ football team claim first NSG B Div title with 2-1 win over Meridian Secondary

SINGAPORE – Coming into the B Division girls’ football final, the odds seemed stacked against the CBP (Centre-based partnership) W3 combined team as they faced Meridian Secondary School in the fight for the title.

Their previous two encounters earlier in the National School Games (NSG) season had ended in Meridian’s favour, with the three-time defending champions first winning 2-0 in the pool round, before recording a 5-1 rout less than a month later.

But on April 15, the combined team – comprising players from Westwood Secondary School, Methodist Girls’ School (MGS) and Boon Lay Secondary School – finally prevailed, edging out Meridian 2-1 at Jurong East Stadium to claim their first B Division title.

Their coach Pamela Kong said: “It was a good end to the season, we’ve created something nice here.

“We have a C Div title (from 2025) and now a B Div title, so now it’s about how we can keep the momentum going so that every batch will have something to shoot for.”

Before the final, several players from the combined team felt apprehensive, as memories from their 3-1 loss to Meridian in the C Division final two years ago lingered.

For a brief moment, those nerves seemed justified as Meridian went ahead after just 30 seconds, thanks to a long-range strike from Nur Risya Rizqyqa Ramlan, who has played for the Singapore Under-16 girls’ team.

Spotting the opposing goalkeeper off her line, she fired a shot from about 20 metres out, gifting her team an early advantage.

But it was short-lived, with the combined team drawing level when winger Aria Julie Romano converted a penalty just three minutes later, after she was brought down in the box.

The 14-year-old then gave her team the lead 10 minutes later by drilling a shot into the bottom left corner.

CBP W3 thought they had extended the lead when striker Dania Adlina Ramlee tapped home from close range in the 22nd minute, following a scramble in the penalty box. But the goal was ruled out as the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.

Despite Meridian’s attempts to mount a comeback, the combined team held firm through a goal-less second half, which concluded with a nerve-racking six minutes of added time.

When the final whistle sounded, players from the combined team’s dugout rushed onto the pitch to celebrate their achievement with their teammates, while Meridian’s footballers crumpled onto the ground in disappointment.

CBP W3 captain Aria said: “Throughout the whole season, the team worked really, really hard to get this far so this achievement is really good.

“I don’t think we ever expected this and the improvement we’ve had is just tremendous.”

Despite their previous losses to Meridian, the Secondary 3 student from MGS noted that they were never discouraged.

Kong added that they may not have had the strongest line-ups in their first two games against Meridian due to player rotation and injuries.

Established in 2023 as part of an initiative that allows students to participate in sports not offered by their schools, CBP W3 have made significant progress since then.

They clinched their first C Division title in 2025, with their B Division team also reaching their maiden final in the same year, eventually losing 3-0 to Meridian.

Despite having footballers from three different schools, the players remain close.

They train together three times a week at Boon Lay Secondary or Westwood Secondary.

“Even though we have three schools, we always go to training together and work together," said Dania, a Secondary 3 student from Boon Lay Secondary.

“Sometimes our coaches also arrange friendlies for us to help us develop our connection with each other so that we can play better as a team.”

Kong noted that some of her players are also part of the Singapore Football Academy Combined Girls team, which competes in the second-tier Women’s National League (WNL), while others play in the league with different teams.

The 34-year-old, who plays for Still Aerion B in the WNL, sometimes also comes up against her charges in the league. She said: “In school, it’s teaching them how to work together as a team and when they play in the league, it’s always nice to see them playing at a higher level and observe how they fit in a higher-level team.”

Despite the defeat, Meridian coach Fabio da Silva still saw positives, praising his team for a good campaign.

He said: “The opponents played with high intensity from the beginning to the end and they deserve to win, they played good football.

“I’m happy with the team for the great season they had, I just wish we carry this mentality forward.”

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