Lions Win the Amoy Cup 2013 in Xiamen 🏆

Sometimes, it’s good to step out of your comfort zone… and that’s exactly what we did. Over the Dragon Boat Festival , Shanghai Lions FC sent two squads to the 3rd edition of the Amoy Cup, a 7-a-side international football tournament held on Gulangyu Island in Xiamen.

Organized by the Xiamen International Football Club (XIFC), the tournament held on 11th of June 2013 featured 12 teams from across China competing in a competitive yet festive environment—with real grass, tropical humidity, and a lot of goals.

---

⚽ Group Stage Grind

With 14 Lions making the trip (plus a couple of “experienced” local helpers), we fielded two teams:

• Lions A: Fast and furious, reinforced by club legend Kely
• Lions B: Wise and experienced, featuring guest players from Xiamen

Both teams played in separate groups of six, with the top four advancing to the quarterfinals. The weather was scorching, and the games came thick and fast—5 matches per team in the group stage alone!

• 🟡 Lions A went on a tear, winning all 5 games and finishing 1st in their group.
• ⚫ Lions B had it tougher but dug deep to claim 3rd place in theirs.

---

🌧️ Knockout Drama & Rain Delays

The knockout stages began after a sudden tropical downpour.

• Lions B faced the powerful Xiamen African Star side and gave it their all, but were eventually overrun by the younger and faster opponents.
• Lions A thrashed a Latino team in the quarters—scoring over 10 goals in one game (!).

Then came the semifinal rematch vs. African Star, who had just eliminated Lions B.

We went 1-0 down early, and the Africans started celebrating… too soon.

• Kely equalized with a beautiful strike
• Azz set up Charles to make it 2-1
• We sealed it in the second half: 3-1 win, job done.

---

🏁 The Grand Final

The final was against a local Chinese team, with tourists lining the pitch to watch. After 7 games in the heat, our legs were heavy, but the Lions were hungry.

• Gui scored on a rapid counter for 1-0
• Second half: a perfect cross from Kely was headed top-bin by Gui for 2-0
• In the final minute, the Chinese scored a bicycle kick just for the crowd—2-1 final.

We were the first non-Chinese team ever to win the Amoy Cup!

---

🏅 Tournament Awards & Highlights

• 🧤 Victor (GK – Lions A): Voted Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament
• 🎯 Gui: 18 goals in 8 games (!), somehow missed out on top scorer award…
• 🎖️ Freek: Scored a “header-penalty” 😄
• 🏆 Lions A: Crowned Amoy Cup 2013 Champions

From friends and family supporting pitchside, to legendary post-match parties, this trip had everything. We also got great feedback from the organizers:

“You guys raised the level of the tournament this year. Talented, disciplined and organized—hope to see you again!”
— Dan, XIFC Organizer

---

🌐 More About the Amoy Cup

The Amoy Cup is an annual 7-a-side football tournament hosted by the Xiamen International Football Club (XIFC). It usually takes place over the Dragon Boat Festival holidays, attracting expat and local teams from across China. Games are played on natural grass in the beautiful setting of Gulangyu Island.

📌 Tournament links and sources:

• Amoy Cup 2013 Info PDF
• Tournament Registration Form

Lets win one more Cup on Saturday (SIFL Cup Final) and then celebrate this great season all together at our sponsor Bloc !

Cheers

Happy Freek