RHB Singapore Cup 2011 kicks off

By Chee Seong - AFF Singapore correspondent

 

The 14th edition of the Singapore Cup will kick off this week, starting on Friday 10 June.

 

With Courts Young Lions out of the tournament due to a training tour in Sydney, there will be one additional foreign team in the competition this season. A total of 16 teams will feature in the tournament, with the competition being scheduled in three windows, with the first window being from 10-17 June 2011.

 

In this edition, Singapore football fans will witness the participation of representatives from Myanmmar (Okkthar United FC), Thailand (Pattaya United FC), Australia (South Melbourne FC), Cambodia (Phnom Penh Crown FC), and Malaysia (Malaysia U19).

 

2010 RHB Singapore Cup winners Bangkok Glass FC decided not to participate this year due to their hectic schedule in the Thai Premier League. There will be two all foreign affairs when Pattaya United plays Okkthar United and when S.League team Albirex Niigata entertains South Melbourne FC.

 

It will be a "home coming" for several players in these teams, who once plyed their trade in the S.League. This also includes the "return" of PN Sivaji, former National Team coach of Singapore. He will be leading Okkthar United in their quest for glory.

 

The RHB Singapore Cup had seen seven different teams lay their hands on the trophy. Home United (4), Tampines Rovers (3) and Singapore Armed Forces FC (3) have dominated the past 13 years of the competition. Tanjong Pagar United FC and Geylang United FC were the other local winners of the tournament. In 2010, Bangkok Glass FC defied all odds to create history as they became the first ever foreign side to be crowned Champions of this competition.

 

The fixtures for the first round are as follows:

 

10 June 2011

Hougang United FC vs Malaysia U19

 

11 June 2011

Gombak United FC vs Balestier Khalsa FC

 

12 June 2011

South Melbourne FC vs Albirex Niigata (S) FC

 

13 June 2011

Geylang United FC vs Tampines Rovers FC

 

14 June 2011

Home United FC vs Woodlands Wellington FC

 

15 June 2011

Etoile FC vs Tanjong Pagar United FC

 

16 June 2011

Singapore Armed Forces FC vs Phnom Penh Crown FC

 

17 June 2011

Pattaya United FC vs Okkthar United FC

 

All matches Kicks off at 7:30pm (Singapore time)

 

Live feeds of the above mentioned matches can be found at www.twitter.com/ligasingapura

 

With the largest number of foreign teams entered this year, will there be a second successive foreign winner or will a Singapore team prevail? Stay tuned to find out.

 

   

Read more from Chee Seong on Singaporean football on his Liga Singapura blog.