SINGAPORE – A message about the importance of teamwork and national pride from Paul Pogba has fired up the Singapore Under-15 football team ahead of their campaign at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The surprise visit of the 33-year-old French World Cup winner to the team’s training base at the Kallang Football Hub on Oct 12 proved inspirational to many, notably forward Kyen Sasikumar.

The Atletico Madrid academy player, who was named in the 14-member squad for the Oct 24-30 tournament by the Football Association of Singapore on Oct 16, told The Straits Times: “What inspired me most is seeing how far he has gone in his career and knowing how much hard work and dedication it takes to reach that level.

“Pogba told us that it’s important to work as a team and fly the Singapore flag high. His message reminded me that football isn’t just about individual talent, but also about working together, supporting your teammates and representing your country with pride.”

Excited about the chance to face teams from different regions, he said: “It’s a great opportunity to play against strong teams from different countries and learn from the experience.

“As a team, we want to compete at our best, make Singapore proud and hopefully achieve a good result. Personally, I want to contribute as much as possible, whether that’s scoring goals, creating chances or helping the team in any way I can.”

A total of 191 teams will feature in the eight-a-side competition with matches consisting two 20-minute halves.

Teams will first compete in a qualification stage comprising four to five round-robin matches, with their results determining their placement in the tournament stage.

Singapore are in Group P alongside Guatemala, Honduras, Canada, Guinea and American Samoa.

In the tournament stage, teams will play a further four to five matches to decide their subsequent placement across six tiers, with the Tier A winners crowned the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival champions.

Singapore U-15 coach Ashraf Ariffin said the 14 players were picked from the Unleash The Roar National Development Centre programme, Singapore Sports School and Lion City Sailors after extensive scouting across the Singapore Premier League 2, Singapore Premier Youth League U-15, U-17 and U-19 competitions besides local and overseas tournaments.

He is hoping the team could do well in the qualification round to secure opportunities to compete against stronger opposition in the tournament stage.

Ashraf added: “Beyond the results, a key objective for both the team and FAS is to provide our players with the highest possible level of international exposure and experience.

“Playing against quality opposition will allow them to experience different styles of play, adapt to different tactical challenges and better understand the demands of international football.”

The son of former Lions defender R. Sasikumar, Kyen is one of two players in the team who are based in Spain, alongside midfielder Edan McCulloch (Alcobendas), and he is no stranger to competing in Europe regularly.

After his family moved to Spain in 2022, Kyen and his younger brother, attacking midfielder Tylan who his two years his junior, were signed by the Atletico academy following a trial.

A typical weekday sees him attend school from 9am to 3pm. He then heads home for lunch and goes for training. At the academy, the youth players work on different aspects of the game, including tactics, technical skills and physical preparation.

He gets home after 9pm, has dinner, finishes his homework and goes to bed. Saturdays are usually match days, while Sundays are for recovery.

Dogged in his pursuit of his dream of becoming a professional footballer “at the highest level”, the 1.85m-tall Kyen has blossomed into a confident attacker who has compiled 50 goals in 83 games for the academy.

In the last season, he ran about 9km on average per match and hit a top speed of 29kmh, which is in the top bracket of his age group.

Kyen, who can now field interviews in Spanish, said: “Football in Spain is very competitive, and the speed and intensity of training and matches are high. You have to think quickly, make decisions faster and be comfortable playing under pressure.

“I’ve improved a lot tactically, especially my positioning, movement off the ball and understanding of the game. As a striker, I’ve also learnt that it’s not just about scoring goals, but knowing when to make runs, create space and help the team.

“Off the pitch, I’ve learnt to be more independent, disciplined and mentally strong. Adapting to a new country, language and environment wasn’t always easy, but those experiences have helped me grow as a person too.”

Having a former professional footballer as a father obviously helps, even as Kyen is determined to make a name for himself in his own right.

“Apart from helping me with my game, he also prepares me mentally for what to expect on and off the pitch. He shares his experiences with me so I have a better understanding of the challenges, pressure and expectations that come with playing football at a high level,” said Kyen.

“At the same time, there can be pressure because people have certain expectations of me because of who my dad is. But I try not to focus too much on that. I’m proud of what he’s achieved, but I want to work hard, build my own identity as a footballer and create my own journey.”

As one of three listed forwards in the team, Kyen is expected to be a goal threat for the Cubs in Azerbaijan.

Ashraf said: “Kyen offers a different attacking profile compared to what we typically have locally... qualities that can add another dimension to our attacking play. We believe he can make a valuable contribution to the team, particularly his goal threat and work rate in the final third.

“ We also expect him to work hard for the team, contribute to our pressing, and create opportunities for his teammates. We hope he can use his experience playing in Spain to make a positive impact and help strengthen our attacking options.”