The Merlion Cup will return to the Singapore football calendar this June after a decade-long hiatus.
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced today afternoon that the invitational tournament will be staged for the eighth time in a new quadrangular format, which will feature the national Under-22 teams of Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
A new tournament logo, which retains the iconic symbol of Singapore, was unveiled together with the gleaming trophy at the press event at Jalan Besar Stadium. The event was streamed live on the FAS’ Facebook page, including the official tournament draw.
First introduced in 1982, the Merlion Cup was an annual affair until 1986 and saw participation from teams hailing from 18 countries including Australia, Iraq, China and Chile in past editions. The sixth edition was held in 1992, which was won by South Korea; the last iteration was a one-off tie against Liverpool in 2009.
The 2019 edition will see Thailand and Indonesia kick off the Merlion Cup on 7 June 2019, while Singapore and Philippines are set to face off later on the same day. The winners of both matches will proceed to the final on 9 June 2019.
FAS President Mr Lim Kia Tong added: “I am sure many of the older football fans will remember this tournament as one that is highly competitive with teams from different parts of the world competing against one another. Besides adding more excitement to the Singapore football calendar, we wanted to give the young and upcoming players more opportunities to play.
“This is the reason why we decided to make this an age-group tournament, specifically for the Under-22 National Teams. We are delighted to have Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand accept our invitation and confirm their participation in this year’s Merlion Cup.
“This will be a good opportunity for the teams to gain international playing experience, especially with the SEA Games coming up at the end of the year, while forging valuable friendships.
“With this revival, it is our intent for the Merlion Cup to continue as an annual fixture in the Singapore football calendar.” – www.fas.org.sg
Fixtures for the Merlion Cup 2019
| Date | Time | Match | Venue |
| 7 June 2019 Friday | 4.30pm | Thailand vs Indonesia | Jalan Besar Stadium |
| 7.30pm | Singapore vs Philippines | ||
| 9 June 2019 Sunday | 4.30pm | Third/fourth-placing match | |
| 7.30pm | Final |
Ticket prices start from $8 and each ticket will allow fans access to both matches per match day.
| Category | Grandstand | Gallery |
| Adult | $10.00 | $6.00 |
| Concession | $8.00 | $5.00 |
*Abovementioned ticket prices exclude ticketing fee
