Unleash The Roar! Overseas Scholarship Footballers Shine In National Colours

From the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore to the King Abdullah II Stadium in Jordan, Singapore’s young footballers under the Unleash The Roar! (UTR!) Overseas Scholarship have been grabbing the headlines.

Fifteen scholarship recipients - from the inaugural 2023 batch and the classes of 2024 and 2025 - were in action during the 8-13 July Lion City Cup and the 7-19 July 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers. Under the scholarship, Singapore’s most promising footballers are sent to the United States or Spain to be immersed in a more demanding football ecosystem while, at the same time, continuing their academic development.

As the final whistle blew at Jalan Besar Stadium to bring the 2025 Lion City Cup to a close, Singapore’s Under-16 Boys’ and Girls’ teams wrapped up the tournament with second-place finishes. Playing key roles to their respective team’s success were four 2024 overseas scholarship recipients Nur Ain Salleh, Lukyan Tan, Aidan Irfan and Miguel Alexandro Garcia. 

Ain, Lukyan and Aidan were especially influential, with all three scoring two goals each from three games in the tournament.

Aidan Irfan ((#7) celebrates his first goal for Singapore in the 3-0 Lion City Cup win over Cambodia. Photo by Football Association of Singapore.

For Aidan, his first outing in national colours was a personal journey of resilience and redemption. He said: "I started the tournament on a low because I didn’t make the squad for the first match.

“By the second match, I was hungry to play and make an impact as a sub.”

He scored Singapore’s opening goal in a 3-0 victory over Cambodia, reacting quickly to a loose ball after the Cambodian goalkeeper split a cross. 

“It was surreal,” said Aidan. “The crowd roared, and that feeling is something I now crave more than ever.” 

Aidan would go on to net Singapore’s final goal of the tournament in a 4-1 win against Hong Kong, China on 13 July 2025. It capped a successful tournament in which he grew both mentally and technically.

Overseas training is paying off

All four young players attribute their improved performances to their time in Spain.

Said Aidan: “The intensity and technical level in Spain forced me to raise my game. Strength work helped me handle the physical side, while playing at a faster pace made me a more intelligent footballer.”

Although Miguel did not log as many minutes as he had hoped, the chance to play in front of his family and a home crowd was a moment to cherish. He said: “It was the first time I represented Singapore. That moment meant everything to me.”

His stint in Spain gave him a foundation of physical robustness and a competitive mindset that will serve him well for future call-ups. 

“I spent a lot of time working on building muscle strength and improving my overall fitness during the gym session,” said Miguel. “I may not have played much in the tournament, but I will be ready when the chance comes. And that’s something I’ve learned from training in such a competitive environment.”

Lukyan Tan (#19) takes on his Hong Kong, China opponent during the Lion City Cup 2025. He was on the scoresheet in the 4-1 Singapore win. Photo by Football Association of Singapore.

Lukyan, who is the latest in the family to don the Singapore jersey after sister Lila and brother Louka, also relished playing in front of home fans.

He said: “Scoring in the second match was an amazing feeling. The roar of the crowd and the energy on the pitch made it even more special.”

Living abroad for the past 12 months in Madrid has taught Lukyan valuable life skills and helped him become more independent. Whenever he feels homesick, a quick call home to his family is all it takes to lift his spirits. 

Besides strengthening his mental resilience, he felt that his time overseas had elevated his technical sharpness. He said: “The players there move faster and handle the ball better, which really pushed me to improve.”

Also, being exposed to technically better players and a more demanding daily training environment is Ain. The 2024 UTR! Overseas Scholarship recipient was part of the Lion City Cup U16 girls’ team, which also comprised six footballers who received the third batch of Unleash The Roar! overseas scholarship award.

Nur Ain Salleh (#9) celebrates with her teammates after Singapore’s 2-0 win over Cambodia at the Lion City Cup 2025. Photo by Football Association of Singapore.

Playing with maturity beyond her years, Ain was a standout performer for the team, scoring two goals as the Singapore U16 finished the tournament as runners-up, behind South Korea..

She said: "This tournament was a great test of how much I’ve grown since training overseas.

“I learnt how to deal with pressure and play with intensity. Competing here at home gave me a chance to show how far I’ve come and how far I still want to go."

From the Lion City Cup to the Asian Cup qualifiers

The impact of the UTR! Overseas Scholarship programme was not just felt at the Jalan Besar Stadium but also in Jordan.

Five players from the first batch of overseas scholarship recipients - Ardhra Arul Ganeswaran, Chloe Koh, Kyra Taylor, Seri Ayu Natasha Naszri and Yasmine Zaharin - were called up to the senior national women’s team for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers. The promotion of the young women, all under the age of 20, demonstrated the growth of the overseas-based players and reinforces UTR!’s objective to level up the next generation of footballers.

Ardhra Arul Ganeswaran looks forward to playing a bigger role in the senior women’s team after scoring her first international goal for Singapore in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifier. Photo by Football Association of Singapore.

While the overall results could have been better - Singapore lost all four of their qualifying matches against Bhutan, Iran, Jordan and Lebanon - the experience in Jordan was still one to remember for Ardha. She scored her first senior goal in a 2-3 loss to Bhutan. 

Said Ardhra, who is studying and playing at the IMG Academy in the United States: “I think my individual performance at the AFC was okay, and there are areas I could have done better in. I’ll be working on those once I’m back in the U.S. 

“But one moment that really stood out was scoring my first goal for Singapore. There was definitely a bit of luck involved, being in the right place at the right time. But it was such a special moment, especially getting to celebrate it with my teammates.”

Ardhra’s development has been shaped by her time training at the IMG Academy, where she’s been exposed to a more physically demanding and tactically versatile style of play.

“The intensity and physicality you experience there on a regular basis really builds your confidence. I played both as a striker and a fullback in the tournament, and I think that versatility came from the training I’ve been exposed to overseas.”