Victoria Junior College (VJC) secured the A Division boys' football title by defeating St Joseph's Institution 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out after the match ended 1-1 in extra time. The final took place on May 21, 2026, at Our Tampines Hub [1, 2, 3].
Seventeen-year-old VJC goalkeeper Ian Iskandar Azmeen was the hero of the shoot-out, saving two penalties to help his team claim victory. This marked a strong comeback for Ian, who failed to stop any penalties in a shoot-out loss during the 2025 NSG B Division quarter-finals while playing for Victoria School. He said, "That really affected my confidence in saving penalties, but I needed to put it aside and just focused on what’s in front of me (today)." To prepare mentally, Ian used a visualization technique before each penalty. "Before every penalty, I faced the net and visualised myself in the penalty-taker’s shoes. Then I just imagined where they’re going to shoot, so when they shot, I just dived that way," he explained. Ian added, "I just blocked out everything. I just believed in myself and put faith in God." [1, 2, 3]
Coach Tan Yew Hwee celebrated his first A Division boys’ final win via penalty shoot-out after three previous losses in similar deciders. Tan has led VJC to 11 A Division boys’ titles since beginning with the football team in 1995. He attributed the win to both hard training and team spirit. "Football is not just about playing with a system, but about playing with your heart," Tan said. "But we have been training quite hard and putting in the practice. So I had confidence in the boys." [1, 2, 3]
Captain Rae Peh also played a key leadership role in guiding VJC to reclaim the title they last won in 2024 [1, 2, 3].
The victory caps a dramatic final that tested skill and nerves. VJC will look to build on today's success in the upcoming season and defend their title in the next A Division championship.
