Singapore Under-16 custodian Veer Karan Sobti, is the Cubs' shining star

Singapore's U15 team will have to give many thanks to their custodian Veer Karan Sobti, who put in a man of the match performance in their 2-1 defeat to Hong Kong at the AFC U16 Championship Qualifiers.

If it wasn't for the goalkeeper, the Cubs could have suffered an embarrassing scoreline as Hong Kong managed to penetrate Singapore's backline with ease. Veer, produced a myriad of top draw saves to keep his team in, with a chance of rescuing a point - though it proved to be fruitless - his performances caught the eye of the public.

Singapore has always had a knack of producing top goalkeepers and the 1.78m Veer looks set to join the ranks. During a training tour with the Turf City Academy in Prague, Czech Republic, earlier this year, he caught the eye of talent scouts. He was invited for a trial with the Under-18 side of the English Championship team in June.

He managed to impress enough to earn a second, six-day stint with Cardiff next month and his performances last night underscored why he is highly rated. Singapore will face a massive challenge against North Korea next in the AFC U16 Championship Qualifiers, but they will know that they count on their goalkeeper to keep them in the game.