The Lion City Sailors (LCS) Football Academy has been recognised for its robust development system for elite youth footballers in Singapore, having been conferred Two-Star Academy status by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) under its AFC Elite Youth Scheme.
The LCS Football Academy – which develops players from the age of three to 18 – is now one of only four academies in Southeast Asia to receive Two-Star grading, alongside Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim FC Academy, NFDP Mokhtar Dahari Academy (AMD), as well as Thailand’s Chonburi FC Academy.
Launched in 2017, the AFC Elite Youth Scheme recognises academies in elite youth football through three tiers: One, Two, and Three-Star.
A total of 22 club academies have been endorsed under this scheme, with only two currently on the highest tier of Three-Star – namely, South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC Academy, and Vietnam’s PVF Academy.
The LCS Football Academy received a Two-Star accreditation in April after meeting the assessment criteria set out by the Asian football governing body’s Youth Panel.
The evaluation covers 20 performance categories, including administration, facilities, programmes, as well as player-centric factors such as welfare, psychology, and education.
“We’re proud to be amongst an elite group who have been awarded with the Two-Star Academy status,” said LCS chairman Forrest Li.
“This is testament to the hard work that our Academy has put in over the past few years to ensure professionalism in all areas, from having specialist staff for every age-group team, to establishing a clear pipeline from the Academy to the First Team.”
AFC assessors Withaya Laohakul and Razip Ismail paid a visit to the Lion City Sailors Training Centre earlier in March and were impressed by the efforts that the Academy puts in to ensure the holistic development of the youth players.
“The LCS Football Academy has a good foundation, including a well-defined coaching structure, development plan for the club, coaching and playing philosophy, player profiles by position, training methodology, and financial stability.
“With strong leadership led by the club’s Technical Director, Sporting Director, and General Manager, along with their clear planning, vision, and philosophy, they’re heading in the right direction to succeed in youth development,” said Withaya.
Since attaining a One-Star grade back in September 2020, the LCS Football Academy has made sustained improvement and remarkable strides in various aspects including in the realms of infrastructure, providing scholarships and overseas exposure.
PHOTOS: LION CITY SAILORS