The Philippine Football Federation sends off its U16 squad to compete in the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Lion City Cup, beginning Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
The PMNFT U16 will open their campaign on July 9 against host Singapore at 8 PM. On July 11, the boys will battle Hong Kong at 5 PM, and on July 13, at 5 PM, they will face Cambodia. All matches will be held at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Filipinos in Singapore are encouraged to watch and cheer for the PMNFT U16.
First organized in 1977, the Lion City Cup is considered the world’s first international youth football tournament for national teams. The 2025 edition runs from July 8 to 13 and brings together youth teams from Cambodia, Korea Republic, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, and Singapore. This historic competition is said to be the inspiration for the FIFA U16 World Championship that started in 1985.
The team is composed of players from NCRFA, Zamboanga del Norte Dipolog Football Association, Central Visayas Regional Football Association, Laguna Football Association, Negros Occidental Regional Football Association, and Golden Davao Regional Football Association, discovered through the PFF National Talent Identification Network.
They were also part of the U16 NCRFA Select Team that emerged as the champion of the Thailand International Youth Cup in Chonburi, Thailand last June 2025 where they edged out six teams from Thailand and Malaysia.
Players who were identified by PFF Talent ID Network scout Roman Oliver, a UEFA-A licensed coach, were invited to join tryouts to form a training pool of 30 players, which was then trimmed to 20 after a series of practices. The 20-man team began their camp on June 30.
“The scouting report of Coach Roman Oliver was a vital resource as it guided us on which players we could tap for the tryouts,” said PMNFT U16 Head Coach Tetsuya Tsuchida. He added that some boys had already started classes, so they referred to the scouting report to find the best players who were available for the Lion City Cup.
PFF President John Gutierrez said, “We wish our u16 boys the best. This marks the start of a long-term preparation leading to the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers on November 22-30, 2025 in Saudi Arabia. With the support of stakeholders from various RFA’s, we plan to nurture and grow this squad as they move up to the higher age levels. New players who will be further scouted through upcoming try-outs will also be welcomed to join this team.”
