Singapore women's football team withdraw from Asean Women's Championship
National footballer Putri Nur Syaliza celebrates after scoring a free-kick in Singapore's 1-0 win over Timor Leste at the AFF Women's Cup on Dec 5. PHOTO: FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE - Six months after securing their first appearance at the Asean Women's Championship, the national women's football team will not feature in it after the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced on June 9 that they have withdrawn from the Aug 6-19 tournament.
Fans, however, were kept in the dark, as those who tuned in to watch the live broadcast of the tournament draw ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam, on June 9 were left puzzled and confused when Singapore were omitted from the draw – Timor Leste were included instead.
The FAS' statement on the withdrawal was only issued seven hours after the ceremony.
In its statement, the national sports association said that the 'decision-making process involved careful consideration of overlapping fixtures, team readiness, and our broader commitment to key Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions'.
The decision to pull out of the tournament was influenced by the need to manage player welfare, maintain performance standards and prepare the teams for the challenges ahead, added the FAS.
Aside from the Asean Women's Championship, the Lionesses' schedule includes the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifers from June 23 to July 5, the AFC Under-20 Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers (Aug 2-10) – which overlaps with the Asean tournament – and the SEA Games from Dec 9 to 20.
The development comes after the team's gruelling qualifying campaign for the Asean Women's Championship in December 2024, when they had to endure fatigue, a packed playing schedule and injuries to the squad.
After playing four games in nine days, a 1-0 victory over Timor Leste in the third-place play-off saw them clinching the final qualifying berth for Singapore's first-ever appearance in the tournament.
Lioness captain Siti Rosnani Azman told The Straits Times: 'Of course we're disappointed and we were looking forward to playing against strong regional teams, but we understand where they're coming from.'
'Our focus is being fully prepared for the Women's Asian Cup Qualifier and SEA Games.'
Women's team head coach Karim Bencherifa said in a statement: 'With important tournaments coming in quick succession – and some even overlapping – our priority must be to protect the health and wellbeing of our players.'
Noting that the FAS' technical department has decided to prioritise tournament participation, he added: 'This is to ensure that our women's team has the best chance of staying fit and fresh, and able to perform at their best.
'Our immediate focus is the Asian Cup Qualifiers, then the U20 Qualifiers, followed by the SEA Games. These are major milestones for the team and we are committed to ensuring our players are in the best condition to perform at their highest level.'
The Asean Women's Championship in Vietnam will feature eight teams, with hosts Vietnam, four-time champions Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia to compete in Group A, while Group B comprises defending champions the Philippines, Myanmar, Australia and Timor Leste.
The matches will be played at Hai Phong's Lach Tray Stadium and Viet Tri Stadium in Viet Tri. The top two teams in each group will progress to the semi-finals on Aug 16, and the final will be held on Aug 19.
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