In what will be a showcase of the women’s game in Singapore, the Lion City Sailors Women’s Team – the Invincibles Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) champions for two years running – will face off against second-tier Women’s National League (WNL) winners Royal Arion Women’s Football Club in the CF (Café Football) Charity Cup.
Hosted at Our Tampines Hub on 12 January 2024, the game will see two of the strongest women’s teams in the country coming together to raise funds for breast cancer patients and underprivileged children.
The CF Charity Cup acts as the curtain-raiser to the inaugural Unity Through Football for SHINE Cup 2024, that features the LMTB Global FC football legends team – consisting of the likes of Abbas Saad, Mirko Grabovac and Indra Sahdan – taking on a SHINE All-Stars side, that has Aleksandar Duric, Lim Tong Hai and Shahril Jantan in their ranks.
The women’s clash will kick off at 6pm on the evening with the legends’ battle following immediately after at 8.30pm.
Pledging to donate SGD$5,000 of ticket sales in Support of SHINE Children and Youth Services, organisers LMTB Global hope to raise awareness and support for underprivileged children and youths (aged from 5-21) in Singapore through this event.
They will also donate the prize money of SGD$11,000 for the winners of the curtain-raiser charity match to the Singapore Breast Cancer Foundation to aid support and raising awareness for breast cancer.
The match pits two of the best representatives of Singapore women’s football against each other. While the Sailors Women retained their WPL title in November in convincing fashion, with 17 wins in 18 matches while scoring a league-high 73 goals and conceded just two all year, Royal Arion will pose an interesting challenge.
Café Football took over their ownership and immediately invested in the squad, adding four Thai national players – namely Orapin Waenngoen, Sunisa Srangthaisong, Pikul Khueanpet and Waraporn Boonsing – who played at two editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup to the team roster.
Royal Arion were dominant in the second-tier and claimed nine wins in as many matches to clinch their first-ever WNL title.
Sailors Women skipper Ernie Sulastri Sontaril wants her team to relish the opportunity to test themselves against the experienced quartet.
“I’ve played against them a few times in my international career with the Lionesses and they are quality players whose levels are a few notches higher. For the younger girls in this team, this is a great chance to test themselves against some of the region’s best players and see how they match up,” said the 35-year-old.
“Also, this event is organised for a good cause to raise funds for breast cancer patients and underprivileged children. So I hope our fans will turn up in full force and get behind this initiative.”
Tickets for the match are already now on sale! Sailors fans are advised to purchase tickets in Section H directly via this link.