Captain Naufal hoping for happier ending than 2023

Singapore Under-16 captain Iliya Naufal Idris will not forget the 2023 Lion City Cup (LCC) final in a hurry.

- Deepanraj Ganesan

While attempting to win the ball off a BG Pathum United player, he fell awkwardly on his left hand and lay flat on the Jalan Besar Stadium pitch, unable to get up.

The centre-back, who had to be substituted in the 70th minute, was taken to the KK Women's and Children's Hospital, where X-rays found that he had broken two bones in his left wrist.

His Singapore U-15 teammates went on to lose 4-3 on spot kicks to the Thai side after the match ended 1-1.

A year later, Naufal, 16, will lead his side out to face Pathum again in an LCC semi-final at the same venue on Oct 4, hoping to better last year's result.

Japanese outfit Tokyo Verdy and Johor Darul Takzim, both tournament debutants, will contest the other semi-final. The final and third-place play-off will be held on Oct 6.