ACTIVESG FOOTBALL ACADEMY LAUNCHES FIRST EVER GIRLS-ONLY PROGRAMME

The programme will be offered in Tampines and Ang Mo Kio from July 2026, with plans to explore expansion to other AFA centres from 2027

Mr David Neo, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Senior Minister of State for Education, joined girls from the ActiveSG Football Academy for a group photo ahead of the exhibition match, alongside AFA Principal and former Singapore international Aleksandar Duric, and national women’s footballer Irsalina Irwan.

[Singapore, 24 May 2026] – Aspiring female footballers in the heartlands can now look forward to dedicated girls’ football programmes by the ActiveSG Football Academy (AFA). 

From July 2026, AFA will offer girls-only programmes in its Tampines Secondary School and Ang Mo Kio Secondary School, in addition to its existing age-group offerings for children aged 3-16 years old. The new programme offers girls a clearer pathway to develop their skills at the grassroots level, with opportunities to progress to more competitive teams as they advance.

The announcement of the new programme was made this morning at the AFA Football Fiesta at Our Tampines Hub, where Mr David Neo, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, & Senior Minister of State for Education was the Guest of Honour. Over 1,000 children took part in this edition of the biannual AFA Football Fiesta, held across 16 and 24 May, which also marks the 10^th anniversary of AFA.

Said AFA principal and former Singapore international Aleksandar Duric: “Since we started AFA in 2016, the interest in girls’ football has been growing. 

While we had only a small number of girls’ signing up for our programmes before, that number is steadily increasing. We started a pilot all-girls programme in Tampines last year and given the strong interest in the programme, we decided to open it up to two centres and for all age groups.”

Also present at the fiesta was national women’s footballer Irsalina Irwan, whose own footballing journey began with AFA. The 19-year-old midfielder for the Lion City Sailors women’s team credited the programme for instilling in her the love of the sport, which led her to achieve an Unleash The Roar! (UTR!) Overseas Football Scholarship at the prestigious IMG Academy in the United States and a regular place in the Lionesses squad. 

A 10-year-old Irsalina (third from left, in blue) playing against boys as part of her training at an AFA training session in Jurong East Stadium. 

Said Irsalina, who started at AFA when she was nine years old and continued on for four years: “AFA really shaped me as a player and as a person. Playing alongside boys challenged me to become stronger, more confident, and more competitive, which made me become the player that I am today.

“But having the option of an all-girls environment is equally important because it gives girls a space to feel comfortable and supported and provides an encouraging platform for more girls to take up the game.

“It’s a meaningful step for AFA to introduce this programme because it shows how much AFA has grown over the past 10 years and their commitment to creating more opportunities for girls in football. It’s also exciting to see more support and pathways being created for the next generation of female players.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ANviJw2K44

2023 UTR! Overseas Scholarship recipient Irsalina Irwan shares why AFA’s girls-only football programme matters for the next generation.

The girls-only programme is part of AFA's broader support for the UTR! national football project, complementing existing UTR! efforts to grow and uplift the women’s game in Singapore. These include introducing girls-only categories in the Singapore Youth League as well as overseas training opportunities for promising female talents, with the most exceptional prospects able to earn football scholarships to the United States and Spain. 

National women’s captain Rosnani Azman, 29, is set to be part of a team of coaches who will helm the AFA women’s programme. 

Said Rosnani, who has been a coach at AFA’s Queensway Secondary School centre: “The aim of the AFA programme is to provide a platform to for young girls to learn and enjoy football. We hope to instil in them a good football foundation and our core values of honour, resilience and teamwork – life-long traits which will serve them well on the pitch as well as off it.”

Girls keen to join the programme can look out for registration details from June, with announcements to be made on AFA’s social media pages. The programme will be priced at $130 per term for ActiveSG members. 

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About ActiveSG Football Academy

ActiveSG Football Academy (AFA) is a holistic football programme for children aged 3 to 16. 

Headed by Principal and former Singapore national footballer Principal Aleksandar Duric, AFA offers a structured programme for boys and girls to learn the fundamentals of football, while discovering a love for the game. As part of the Unleash The Roar! national football project, AFA offers pathways for children to pursue their interests, either as a recreational player or in a more competitive environment. 

Beyond football skills, the programme emphasises character development, teaching values such as honour, resilience and teamwork through teachable moments on and off the field.