Singapore national youth football team
Encyclopedia
The Singapore
national youth football team is a team with two departments: the Under-16s, the team that represented the nation in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games
and the Lion City Cup, and the Under-15s, which also represented the nation in the Lion City Cup, and also the AFF U16 Championship. The youth team's honours include bronze for the YOG, second and third places for the Lion City Cup (the former being the U16s and the latter being the U15s). The team is also one of the favourites in Singapore sport
as of 2011.
, and so many Singaporeans were disappointed when they lost the semi-final 2–0 to a later much-hated-by-Singaporeans Haiti
youth team. The team, coached by Kadir Yahaya, who later would receive a lot of stress coming to a post-Olympic mental block. When the team beat Montenegro in the Bronze Medal match, Singapore fans concluded that the cubs were the best of all Singapore sides since the 1994 Malaysia Cup team. The team went back to school following the match, and were regarded as 'national heroes'.
revived the Lion City Cup, another team emerged from the shadows – the Under-15 team. The YOG side, though skipper Lightfoot was absent, played under a new coach: Takuma Koga
. They grabbed second and third places (U16s – 2nd; U15s – 3rd), beating the youth sides (U15) of Juventus
, Everton and Newcastle United
.
Jeffrey Lightfoot of the U16s was called up, but he injured himself and coach Takuma Koga
and the FAS
ruled him out for the whole campaign, leaving Dhukhilan Jeevamani to stand in as captain, and Illyas Lee playing second fiddle to Jeevamani.
, who eventually lost the final and got second. Singapore then beat Montenegro 4–1 to grab third place, bronze.
.
Singapore was first to shoot for penalties.
The semi-final between the youth team and Juventus U15 was an exciting match, with man of the match Hazim Hassan scoring 2 goals in the first half, and Juventus coming back with another 2 in the second. The penalty shootout, though, was plagued with controversy, as the referee made Jonathan Tan retake his penalty, allowing Singapore to score (Jonathan missed the first one). At the end of the match, Juventus players haunted the referee.
Their very first group game, up against Newcastle United's U15 batch, could arguably be one of the most exciting matches ever in Singapore
football. Down 3–1, Singapore used just nine minutes to score 3 back, and eventually win 4–3.
.
to declare that next year's Lion City Cup will switch – foreign referees for Singapore matches and vice-versa. This match set the record, the biggest win the Singapore youth team has had, but was broken by a 5–0 win over Vietnam, also won by this very Singapore U15 team.
The team was managed by Dejan Gluscveic, and during their time there, they won 3 matches and lost 3 matches, losing both the semi-finals and the third place play-offs. The Championship also brought out 5 goals from captain and midfielder Adam Swandi, who scored 5 goals, against Vietnam, the first goal since his very first international goal (against Juventus), the Philippines and Myanmar – these 5 and the goal against Juventus U15 made him the youth team's (U16 combined) top scorer, ahead of Muhaimin Suhaimi of the U16s.
and the AFF U-16 Championship.
C – Captain
VC – Vice-captain
Captain – The team leader.
Stand-in captain – Stood in when captain was absent (applies only for a standing in for at least 3 games in a row.)
The role of vice-captain does not apply here. Also, caps and goals only count for when it was earned during captaincy.
, sharing it temporarily with the senior team
before the senior team moves to Singapore Sports Hub
when it has finished construction.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
national youth football team is a team with two departments: the Under-16s, the team that represented the nation in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games
Youth Olympic Games
The Youth Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event first held in Singapore from August 14 to August 26, 2010. The games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consistent with the current Olympic Games format. The age limitation of the athletes is between 14 to 18...
and the Lion City Cup, and the Under-15s, which also represented the nation in the Lion City Cup, and also the AFF U16 Championship. The youth team's honours include bronze for the YOG, second and third places for the Lion City Cup (the former being the U16s and the latter being the U15s). The team is also one of the favourites in Singapore sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
as of 2011.
Breakthrough
For many, the YOG team of Singapore seemed to be one of the best national sides representing SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and so many Singaporeans were disappointed when they lost the semi-final 2–0 to a later much-hated-by-Singaporeans Haiti
Haiti national football team
The Haiti national football team represents Haiti in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, the governing body for football in Haiti. Haiti's home ground is Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince and their head coach is Edson Tavares...
youth team. The team, coached by Kadir Yahaya, who later would receive a lot of stress coming to a post-Olympic mental block. When the team beat Montenegro in the Bronze Medal match, Singapore fans concluded that the cubs were the best of all Singapore sides since the 1994 Malaysia Cup team. The team went back to school following the match, and were regarded as 'national heroes'.
Lion City Cup
In 2011, when SingaporeFootball Association of Singapore
The Football Association of Singapore is the governing body of football in Singapore. It was founded in 1952. Prior to that, the Singapore Amateur Football Association, founded in 1892, was the governing body for football in Singapore...
revived the Lion City Cup, another team emerged from the shadows – the Under-15 team. The YOG side, though skipper Lightfoot was absent, played under a new coach: Takuma Koga
Takuma Koga
Takuma Koga is a former Japanese football player, currently coaching the Singapore U16, the older department of the Football Association of Singapore's National Football Academy project, the Singapore national youth football team...
. They grabbed second and third places (U16s – 2nd; U15s – 3rd), beating the youth sides (U15) of Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, Everton and Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
.
Jeffrey Lightfoot of the U16s was called up, but he injured himself and coach Takuma Koga
Takuma Koga
Takuma Koga is a former Japanese football player, currently coaching the Singapore U16, the older department of the Football Association of Singapore's National Football Academy project, the Singapore national youth football team...
and the FAS
Football Association of Singapore
The Football Association of Singapore is the governing body of football in Singapore. It was founded in 1952. Prior to that, the Singapore Amateur Football Association, founded in 1892, was the governing body for football in Singapore...
ruled him out for the whole campaign, leaving Dhukhilan Jeevamani to stand in as captain, and Illyas Lee playing second fiddle to Jeevamani.
Youth Olympics – The Road To Bronze (2010)
2010 marked the breakthrough of the Cubs as they went through the Youth Olympic Games, held in their own home, comfortably. They managed to get through the semi-finals before succumbing to a defeat against underdogs HaitiHaiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, who eventually lost the final and got second. Singapore then beat Montenegro 4–1 to grab third place, bronze.
Group stage
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 SingaporeSingapore national youth football team The Singapore national youth football team is a team with two departments: the Under-16s, the team that represented the nation in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games and the Lion City Cup, and the Under-15s, which also represented the nation in the Lion City Cup, and also the AFF U16 Championship... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 0 |
Semi-finals
Bronze Medal match
This match involved a lot of controversy, with a few Montenegro players accused of diving. Drawn 1–1, Singapore came back and eventually won the match 4–1.Lion City Cup: Under-16s journey (2011)
As Under-16s, the ones who wholeheartedly fought for the bronze at the Youth Olympics, a lot was expected from them in the Lion City Cup. Though captain Jeffrey Lightfoot was absent with an injury, they managed to pull through to get first runners-up for the competition under temporary captain Dhukhilan Jeevamani. They also went with new coach Takuma KogaTakuma Koga
Takuma Koga is a former Japanese football player, currently coaching the Singapore U16, the older department of the Football Association of Singapore's National Football Academy project, the Singapore national youth football team...
.
Group stage
All attendances are referenced from ->| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CR Flamengo U15Clube de Regatas do Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo , also known as Flamengo and familiarly as Mengão, is a Brazilian sports club based in the Flamengo bairro, Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro, best known for its professional football team... |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| Singapore U16 Singapore national youth football team The Singapore national youth football team is a team with two departments: the Under-16s, the team that represented the nation in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games and the Lion City Cup, and the Under-15s, which also represented the nation in the Lion City Cup, and also the AFF U16 Championship... |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
 Everton U15Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 |
Semi finals
All attendances are referenced from ->Singapore was first to shoot for penalties.
The semi-final between the youth team and Juventus U15 was an exciting match, with man of the match Hazim Hassan scoring 2 goals in the first half, and Juventus coming back with another 2 in the second. The penalty shootout, though, was plagued with controversy, as the referee made Jonathan Tan retake his penalty, allowing Singapore to score (Jonathan missed the first one). At the end of the match, Juventus players haunted the referee.
Final
Fashah Rosedin, or Fashah Iskandar (whichever you want to call him) was the most outstanding player that night against Flamengo. Sadly, Caio Rangel and his other Samba football fellows proved to be better, bringing the game to penalties where they won.Lion City Cup: Under-15s journey (2011)
The hot-new product, the team that graduated from a U14 group in the Singapore National Football Academy to the very team included in a project for the future of Singapore football, the U15s were one of the favourites to make sure that the cup stayed in Singapore. Their journey was unsuccessful, grabbing only third, losing to Flamengo U15 in the semi-finals and toppling Juventus U15 4–0, a record biggest win, not to be broken until the U15s went against Vietnam in July during the AFF U16 Youth Championship, where they won 5–0.Group stage
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Juventus U15Juventus F.C. Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | |
| Singapore U15 Singapore national youth football team The Singapore national youth football team is a team with two departments: the Under-16s, the team that represented the nation in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games and the Lion City Cup, and the Under-15s, which also represented the nation in the Lion City Cup, and also the AFF U16 Championship... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Newcastle U15 Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 0 |
Their very first group game, up against Newcastle United's U15 batch, could arguably be one of the most exciting matches ever in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
football. Down 3–1, Singapore used just nine minutes to score 3 back, and eventually win 4–3.
Semi-finals
The Singapore U15s navigated past the group stage, leaving Newcastle U15 behind, and reaching to a clash with competition favourites Flamengo. Eventually, they were outclassed in terms of skills and goals, and their misery was ended with a 3–0 loss, recorded as the biggest loss the Singapore youth/teen team (U14-16) ever had, breaking the 2–0 record loss to HaitiHaiti national football team
The Haiti national football team represents Haiti in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, the governing body for football in Haiti. Haiti's home ground is Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince and their head coach is Edson Tavares...
.
Third-place play-off
This match, along with the Singapore U16 semi-final with the same Italian opponents, brought controversy as Juventus were victims to both refereeing mistakes, or bias. The two matches have led to the FASFootball Association of Singapore
The Football Association of Singapore is the governing body of football in Singapore. It was founded in 1952. Prior to that, the Singapore Amateur Football Association, founded in 1892, was the governing body for football in Singapore...
to declare that next year's Lion City Cup will switch – foreign referees for Singapore matches and vice-versa. This match set the record, the biggest win the Singapore youth team has had, but was broken by a 5–0 win over Vietnam, also won by this very Singapore U15 team.
The AFF U-16 Championship (2011)
The U15 team, captained by Adam Swandi, took part in the AFF U-16 Championship, and got fourth place. During their trip their they broke the record 4–0 win, winning 5–0 against both Vietnam and the Philippines.The team was managed by Dejan Gluscveic, and during their time there, they won 3 matches and lost 3 matches, losing both the semi-finals and the third place play-offs. The Championship also brought out 5 goals from captain and midfielder Adam Swandi, who scored 5 goals, against Vietnam, the first goal since his very first international goal (against Juventus), the Philippines and Myanmar – these 5 and the goal against Juventus U15 made him the youth team's (U16 combined) top scorer, ahead of Muhaimin Suhaimi of the U16s.
AFF Youth Championship (U-16)
| Year | Group | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 20112011 AFF U-16 Youth Championship The 2011 AFF U-16 Youth Championship was an international football tournament that was held from 7 July to 20 July 2011, hosted by Laos for the first time.- Group A :----------------- Group B :----------------... |
U15 (2011 gen.) | Semi-finals | Fourth | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 5 |
Current squad
This is the squad, as of 2011, in the Lion City CupLion City Cup
The Lion City Cup, is an annual international association football competition organized by the Football Association of Singapore, contested by the Under-16 soccer teams. It was founded in 1977 as the only Under-16 soccer tournament in the world. It helped in the creation of a FIFA U-16 World...
and the AFF U-16 Championship.
C – Captain
VC – Vice-captain
| No (#) | Name | Group (U15 or 16) | Recent call-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||
| 1 | Fashah Rosedin Iskandar | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 18 | Hamzah Fazil | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 1 | Heirul Suhanes | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship 2011 AFF U-16 Youth Championship The 2011 AFF U-16 Youth Championship was an international football tournament that was held from 7 July to 20 July 2011, hosted by Laos for the first time.- Group A :----------------- Group B :----------------... |
| 12 | Elfi Shahrul | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| Defenders Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
|||
| 5 | Jeffrey A. Lightfoot (C for U16) | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup (pulled out due to injury) |
| 14 | Illyas Lee (VC for U16) | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 16 | Dhukhilan Jeevamani (VC for U16) | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup (stand-in captain for campaign) |
| 19 | Fatemy Firdouse | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 2 | Ehvin Sasidharan | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 4 | Sadik Said | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 5 | R. Aaravin | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 14 | Bryan Tan | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 21 | Taufiq Hossain | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... s |
|||
| 6 | Amirul Mazlan | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 7 | Brandon Koh | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 8 | Iskandar Khairul Anuar | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 9 | Syazwan Mohamed Zin | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 10 | Hanafi Akbar | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 11 | Jonathan Tan | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 15 | Bryan Neubronner | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 3 | Mahathir Azeman | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 6 | Amirul Azmi | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 8 | Muhelmy Suhaimi | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 10 | Adam Bin Swandi (C for U15) | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 13 | Rifqi Yazid | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 15 | Raja Ahmad Zaki | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| Forwards | |||
| 13 | Hazim Hassan | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 17 | Muhaimin Suhaimi | U16 | 2011 Lion City Cup |
| 7 | Zulfadhmi Suzliman | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 9 | Irfan Iezran | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 11 | Azhar Ramli | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 17 | Faridzuan Fuad | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
| 18 | Faizal Raffi | U15 | 2011 AFF U-16 Championship |
Recent call-ups
These players listed were recently called-up in competitions / matches before the previous ones, but were not called-up for the previous event.| Pos. | Name | Group | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| DF Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
Syazwan Radhi | U16 | 2010 Summer Youth Olympics Football at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics The football competition at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics took place between 12–25 August. The draw was made on 18 May 2010. Playing time was made up of two periods of 40 minutes with a half-time break of 15 minutes.-Teams:-Medal summary:-Boys:... |
| DF Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
Irfan Aysraf | U16 | 2010 Summer Youth Olympics |
| MF Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
Sunny Ng | U16 | 2010 Summer Youth Olympics |
Head Coach
- Singapore U16
Takuma KogaTakuma KogaTakuma Koga is a former Japanese football player, currently coaching the Singapore U16, the older department of the Football Association of Singapore's National Football Academy project, the Singapore national youth football team...
(2011–present) - Singapore U15
Dejan Gluscveic (2011–present)
Assistant Coach
- Singapore U16
Abdullah Noor (2010–) - Singapore U15
Shahrin Shari (2011–)
Captains
Roles:Captain – The team leader.
Stand-in captain – Stood in when captain was absent (applies only for a standing in for at least 3 games in a row.)
The role of vice-captain does not apply here. Also, caps and goals only count for when it was earned during captaincy.
Under-16s
| No. | Pos. | Name | Type | Years in captaincy | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | DF Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
Jeffrey Lightfoot | Captain | 2010–present | 4 | 1 |
| 16 | DF Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
Dhukhilan Jeevamani | Stand-in captain | 2011 (stint) | 4 | 0 |
Under-15s
| No. | Pos. | Name | Type | Years in captaincy | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | MF Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
Adam bin Swandi | Captain | 2011–present | 10 | 6 |
Coach statistics
Note: Do note that all results are counted at the end of the final whistle, or a.e.t. if there is extra time. Matches with a penalty shoot-out outcome are still counted as a draw. Win PSO means the number of drawn games won via penalties, and the Win PSO (%) is the percentage of winning via penalties.Under 16s
| Name | Reign | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Wins (PSO) | Win (%) | Win PSO (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kadir Yahaya | 2010 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75 | 0 |
| Takuma Koga Takuma Koga Takuma Koga is a former Japanese football player, currently coaching the Singapore U16, the older department of the Football Association of Singapore's National Football Academy project, the Singapore national youth football team... |
2011– present | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 |
Under 15s
| Name | Reign | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Wins (PSO) | Win (%) | Win PSO (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dejan Gluscveic | 2011–present | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
Stadium
The youth team uses the Jalan Besar StadiumJalan Besar Stadium
Jalan Besar Stadium is a football stadium located along Jalan Besar, in the Kallang area of Singapore and is the current home stadium of Young Lions, a S.League football team. The stadium can also be used for any Singapore national football team matches as the National Stadium, Singapore is being...
, sharing it temporarily with the senior team
Singapore national football team
The Singapore national football team is the national association football team of Singapore. The team comes under the organization of the Football Association of Singapore...
before the senior team moves to Singapore Sports Hub
Singapore Sports Hub
The Singapore Sports Hub is a proposed sports complex located in Kallang, Singapore to be built on the present site of the National Stadium, which was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and demolition started on 29 September 2010...
when it has finished construction.
See also
- Singapore national football teamSingapore national football teamThe Singapore national football team is the national association football team of Singapore. The team comes under the organization of the Football Association of Singapore...
- Football Association of SingaporeFootball Association of SingaporeThe Football Association of Singapore is the governing body of football in Singapore. It was founded in 1952. Prior to that, the Singapore Amateur Football Association, founded in 1892, was the governing body for football in Singapore...
- Jalan Besar StadiumJalan Besar StadiumJalan Besar Stadium is a football stadium located along Jalan Besar, in the Kallang area of Singapore and is the current home stadium of Young Lions, a S.League football team. The stadium can also be used for any Singapore national football team matches as the National Stadium, Singapore is being...