SINGAPORE – She was not expected to feature in the B Division girls’ football final on May 9, as Liyana Indah Rickit was still feeling the effects of jet lag after returning from an overseas trip the previous morning.

However, the determined 15-year-old captain refused to be denied, leading Meridian Secondary School to a decisive 3-0 victory against the CBP W3 combined team at Jalan Besar Stadium, and even scored the final goal herself to seal the win.

Her coach Fadio da Silva was full of praise for the dedicated captain after Meridian won their third straight National School Games (NSG) B Division title.

“She’s a very important player. She came back yesterday morning from overseas. She’s still jet-lagged, but she still wanted to come and play. It’s not easy, so I really (have to) salute Liyana,” said the 51-year-old.

“Her leadership, her personality is very good. She’s very committed.”

Secondary 4 student Liyana, who scored all four goals in their 4-3 win over Queensway Secondary in the 2024 final, was glad to have the chance to mark her final outing for the school.

“I just want to win with my team. We worked very hard for this. I really am thankful that I have this opportunity to lead all my amazing teammates.”

An early blitz proved to be the difference in the final, with Nayli Elvira putting Meridian 2-0 up, her second goal an audacious lob over goalkeeper Claire Mok after a long pass from Liyana.

“I feel proud that I get to score early in the first half,” said Nayli, 15. “It brings our spirits and confidence up so we can relax and control the game from there.”

When asked about her finish for the second goal, she said: “I saw the space behind the keeper so I just decided to chip (the ball) over.”