The Philippine Boys’ Under-16 National Football Team kicked off their 2025 Lion City Cup campaign with an impressive 2-0 victory over host Singapore at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday. The young Filipino squad showcased exceptional defensive organization and potent counterattacking skills to upset the home team.
The match remained a tense goalless affair for 64 minutes, largely due to the heroics of goalkeeper Reign Lewis Deomampo, who skillfully fended off Singaporean attacks. The breakthrough came when Bacolod-native striker Joshua Gabriel Moleje capitalized on a swift counter, expertly chipping the ball past an advancing Ilhan Rezal to open the scoring.
Following another crucial save by Deomampo and a missed opportunity by Singapore’s Darius Lai, John Lawrence Binalong sealed the victory in the 85th minute. Binalong embarked on a remarkable solo run from behind the centerline, weaving through the Singaporean defense to net the dagger goal.
“For us Filipinos, we just have that fighting spirit to really work hard,” Moleje told The Straits Times after the match.
This victory marks a significant turnaround for the Philippine U16 team, who suffered a 0-4 loss to Singapore U16 in last year’s ASEAN Under-16 Championships.
Furthermore, it’s the first time the Philippines U16 has secured a clean sheet win against Singapore U16 in their head-to-head history. This win also extends their winning streak to two, following their triumph against Cambodia in the 2025 U16 Asian Cup Qualifiers last year.
“Congratulations to our U16 boys. This win shows the powerful potential of our players from luzon visayas and mindanao, and the promise of our Talent ID program,” remarked PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez. “We also congratulate our coaching staff and thank the parents and football community for their passionate support.”
The Philippines U16 will next face Hong Kong U16, a finalist in the 2014 U16 Asian Cup, on July 11.
Photo Credit: Football Association of Singapore
