Philippe Aw can get the ball rolling towards Goal 2034, by securing AFC Under-16 Championship qualification

Philippe Aw will be a man on a mission when his U16 team begin their AFC Under-16 Championship Qualifiers on September 17.

His Cubs have been drawn into Group I – alongside North Korea, Hong Kong and Guam. 

Aw will know he will have his work cut out for him to secure qualification but will be given a boost by home ground advantage. But in the grander scheme of things, Aw knows that securing qualification will uplift Singapore football in a massive way, especially after Goal 2034 was unveiled.

Goal 2034 basically means targeting that Singapore will qualify for the 2034 World Cup. While many critics have cast aspersions on the target – in football – one never says never.

For Aw, he knows that his group of players will be the ones representing the national team by 2034 and should he secure qualification, it will get Singapore on the right track towards those grand ambitions. Cultivating the youth in Singapore football is an arduous challenge but Aw can alleviate some of that burden by getting his team to qualify for the AFC Under-16 Championship first.