Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) added another feather to their already fine cap last week when they won their first ever FA of Singapore (FAS) Under-15 International Challenge Cup (ICC) after beating defending champions Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talents (PVF) 1-0 in the final.
In the match that was played at the Jalan Besar Stadium, JDT’s victory snapped PVF’s remarkable streak of winning every FAS ICC edition since it’s inauguration in 2016.
JDT had been the losing finalists on all three previous occasions.
Both teams did not concede a single goal in any of their four matches prior to meeting the final, with JDT scoring 14 times and PVF 18.
But it was JDT who got the only goal in the 73rd minute as they hit their opponents on the break.
Issma Daniel’s superb diagonal pass out from the back found Wafiq Saiby streaking away down the right and the winger’s cross-shot was gleefully tapped in by fellow substitute Naim Zainuddin at the far post for his fourth goal of the tournament.
There was at least some consolation for PVF as captain Võ Anh Quân was named the Most Valuable Player, while Trần Vũ Ngọc Tài finished as top scorer with five goals.
The Best Goalkeeper award was won by Matsumoto Yamaga’s Hajime Oikawa, while the Fair Play award went to Perth United.
Japanese outfit Yamaga finished third for a second consecutive year after defeating the Singapore U15 National Team 4-3 on penalties earlier in the day; the match finished 2-2 after full-time.
The other fourth participating teams – Garuda Unity (Indonesia), Singapore Sports School, Melbourne City College (Australia), Perth United (Australia) – finished fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
FAS Vice-President Mr Razali Saad and FAS Head, Coach Education and Development (Technical) Mr Zainudeen Hassan presented the prizes to the teams.
