By MARK REY MONTEJO
The Philippine U16 boys national team made history after capturing its first-ever title in the 2025 Lion City Cup at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore Sunday, July 13.
Hardly given the chance to rule the prestigious event, the Nationals defied the odds by capping off their improbable campaign with a 3-1 win over Cambodia to reign supreme in the 29th edition of the youth football competition that was inaugurated in 1977.
Aaron Long stood out in that game with two goals that helped the Philippines recover from a shaky start.
Francis Benedict Poticano also shined as he delivered the dagger straight to the Cambodians’ chest.
It was a huge moment for Philippine football as the triumph marked the country’s first championship in the said age group.
Before hoisting the trophy, the Filipino booters stunned the Singaporeans (2-0) on the opening day then went to a 1-1 draw with Hong Kong in their following game.
With two wins and one draw, the Philippines amassed seven points to stay atop of the four-team meet – one point ahead of host Singapore (2-0-1), which scored a 4-1 victory over Hong Kong in the later match to secure the second honor.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong (1-1-1) finished third, while Cambodia (0-0-4) went home winless at fourth place.
