SINGAPORE – The Lion City Cup, which was last played in 2015, is set to return for its 27th edition in September and will feature four teams – Malaysia’s Selangor FC, Thailand’s BG Pathum, Indonesia’s Borneo FC and Singapore’s National Development Centre (NDC) Under-15 team.
Started in 1977, the tournament is aimed at nurturing and developing young football talent.
It has featured national youth teams from Asian countries and developmental squads from clubs in Europe and Asia. English club Tottenham Hotspur won the last edition in 2015.
High-profile players who have played in the Lion City Cup include Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek, Bayern Munich fullback Noussair Mazraoui and, most recently, Liverpool’s Curtis Jones.
The tournament will kick off on Sept 1, when debutants Borneo FC and BG Pathum will meet at 5pm, while the Singapore side will play Selangor FC at 8pm.
The final and third-place play-off will be held two days later and all matches will be played at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Ticket details will be released later, said the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).
The Singapore team will be led by coach Angel Toledano, who took charge of the Singapore U-16 team in the 2022 Asian Football Confederation U-17 Asian Cup qualifiers and Asean Football Federation U-16 Championship.
Although the regional sides may not be at the level of European teams in previous editions, Toledano said they are “formidable opponents”.
He added: “This tournament offers our players the opportunity to... put into practice the concepts diligently honed during our training sessions.
“I believe that this experience will contribute greatly to the players’ development.”
The 33-year-old Spaniard hopes to prepare his players for potential in-game situations. He said: “Our team’s objective is to maintain competitiveness in every match while adhering to our strategic game model.
“I have belief in our players and know that they will look to rise to the occasion, as seen from their commitment and desire to improve their skills in every training session.”
FAS acting president and deputy chairman of national football project Unleash The Roar! (UTR) Bernard Tan said: “The Lion City Cup is a crucial pillar for youth development plans under UTR.
“In addition to sending our best young players overseas for training stints and competitions, it is important to also host tournaments like this in Singapore to pit ourselves against some of the best youth teams, and for local fans to get behind our young footballers.”
