Auni Shellah’s return to the Singapore Under-17 Women’s National Team for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers follows a year of rebuilding confidence, improving her game and learning to turn disappointment into motivation.
Finding Her Voice on and off the Pitch
After missing out on the national-team squad last year, Shellah did not allow the setback to define her. Instead, she reflected on the areas she needed to improve, worked on her game and earned another opportunity to represent Singapore as the team prepares to face Indonesia, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in Group B.
“After that, I reflected on what I had to improve on, and from then on, I worked towards my goal of trying to get into the national team,” Shellah said, “Thankfully this year, I was given the opportunity to show that I was able to play for the national team.”
Photo: SportPlus.sg / Chan Wei En
The process changed the way Shellah saw herself. Previously more reserved and less certain of her own ability, she now feels more confident on the pitch and more comfortable expressing herself around others.
“On the pitch, I think I became more confident,” she said. “I wasn’t really that confident with my own abilities.”
Rather than comparing herself to those around her, Shellah focused on the aspects of her own development that she could control.
“After that, I decided there was nothing really for me to lose,” she said. “The only thing I could do was improve myself and focus on myself, instead of those around me. I worked towards becoming a better player.”
That growth has extended beyond the field. Shellah believes she has become more open, more extroverted and more able to communicate with teammates.
“I opened myself up more,” she said. “I became more extroverted, learnt how to talk to people, and not always keep things to myself.”
Photo: SportPlus.sg / Chan Wei En
The Lion City Sailors Breakthrough
Club football has played a supporting role in that progress. At Lion City Sailors, Shellah moved into an environment where she could train and compete more regularly alongside girls, after previously playing predominantly with boys. The adjustment helped her become more comfortable with teammates and express herself more freely.
“Playing club football with Lion City Sailors allowed me to play more with the girls, because previously I was playing with the boys,” Shellah stated, “Playing with the girls was definitely a good change. I felt like they understood me more, so it allowed me to open up easier to them.”
Her club experience also gave her the chance to test herself in the JSSL7s, where she faced players closer to her own age in a national-level competition.
Photo: SportPlus.sg / Chan Wei En
“It allowed me to meet the younger girls and play with people near my age,” Shellah said. “JSSL 7s was a national tournament, so it allowed me to see the standard of girls in my age group.”
That exposure, alongside an unbeaten 2026 Women’s National League title with Lion City Sailors FC ‘B’, has helped reinforce the work Shellah has put into her game. WIth the qualifiers approaching, her attention is on using that progress to contribute more decisively for Singapore.
“I want to prove to myself that I did improve from last year,” Shellah said. “What I think I can contribute to the team is that I want to be more aggressive, more commanding and not give up easily.”
Leading from the Front for Singapore
Shellah is equally focused on the role she can play within a group that includes new players. She wants to help build a team that stays positive, connected and committed through difficult moments.
“I want to be able to motivate the girls not to give up and to fight until the end,” she said. “Off the pitch, I think because of the new players that have entered, we need to become closer, so that our bonds are close and we feel like we have something to fight for.”
Indonesia is one opponent Shellah is especially looking forward to facing. Singapore previously played Indonesian opposition at the Srikandi Merdeka Cup 2026, where Shellah captained the side in a 2–0 victory over Putri Nusantara Indonesia in Kudus.
For Shellah, the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers are an opportunity to show how far she has come: from disappointment and self-doubt to a player ready to compete with confidence, lead with purpose and fight for Singapore until the final whistle.