Singapore Lionesses' Asian Cup qualifiers postponed amid Iran-Israel conflict
SINGAPORE, June 20 — Women's Asian Cup qualifiers scheduled for next week in Jordan have been postponed due to the air war between Iran and Israel, the Football Association of Singapore said.
The Singapore team had been expected to travel to Amman to face Jordan as well as Iran, Lebanon and Bhutan in the preliminary rounds for the 2026 finals, which are to be held in Australia next March.
The qualifiers had been scheduled to kick off on Monday and run through July 5.
'The Lionesses will face a delay to the start of their AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026 qualifying campaign, after the Asian Football Confederation announced the postponement of all Group A matches,' the association said in a statement.
'The AFC cited the ongoing situation in the region and logistical concerns raised by several Participating Member Associations as reasons for the change.
'A new neutral venue is expected to host the group fixtures, but has yet to be confirmed.'
Reuters has contacted the AFC for comment.
Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful. — Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
AFC moves Women's Asian Cup qualifiers from Jordan to Qatar
WOMEN'S Asian Cup qualifiers originally starting next week in Jordan have been moved to Qatar because of the 'ongoing situation' in the Middle East, football officials said Friday. Tensions have escalated in the region after Israel and Iran intensified air strikes against each other, with the conflict risking the involvement of the United States. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said that matches in qualifying Group A scheduled June 23-July 5 in the Jordanian capital Amman have been moved to Qatar and will now take place July 7-19. 'More details on the venue and match timings will be confirmed in due course,' the AFC said in a statement. Jordan, Singapore, Iran, Lebanon and Bhutan are in Group A qualifying for the Women's Asian Cup in Australia in March 2026. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said separately that the move was due to the 'ongoing situation in the region and logistical concerns raised by' the participating teams. There are eight qualifying groups with the winner of each booking a spot at the 2026 showpiece. Hosts Australia, South Korea, Japan and holders China are already sure of their places.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Women's Asian Cup qualifiers moved to Qatar amid Israel-Iran war
WOMEN'S Asian Cup qualifiers originally starting next week in Jordan have been moved to Qatar because of the 'ongoing situation' in the Middle East, football officials said Friday. Tensions have escalated in the region after Israel and Iran intensified air strikes against each other, with the conflict risking the involvement of the United States. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said that matches in qualifying Group A scheduled June 23-July 5 in the Jordanian capital Amman have been moved to Qatar and will now take place July 7-19. 'More details on the venue and match timings will be confirmed in due course,' the AFC said in a statement. Jordan, Singapore, Iran, Lebanon and Bhutan are in Group A qualifying for the Women's Asian Cup in Australia in March 2026. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said separately that the move was due to the 'ongoing situation in the region and logistical concerns raised by' the participating teams. There are eight qualifying groups with the winner of each booking a spot at the 2026 showpiece.
Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Sri Pahang out, 13 teams in for 2025–26 M-League season
KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — Sri Pahang FC have confirmed that they will not participate in the Malaysia League (M-League) this season despite being granted a National License by the First Instance Body (FIB). The Malaysian Football League (MFL) announced in a statement that the 'Elephants' squad, which received the 2025/26 national license, has decided not to compete in the M-League by submitting a confirmation letter dated June 16. The decision will see 13 teams participating in the new season which will begin on August 8. 'All clubs have been granted the 2025-2026 National License by the independent First Instance Body (FIB) with the club from Brunei, DPMM FC, being granted approval from the International Football Association Board (FIFA) and the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) to compete in the 2025-2026 Malaysia League. 'However, Sri Pahang FC, which also received the 2025-2026 National License, have decided not to compete in the Malaysia League this season by submitting a confirmation letter dated 16 June 2025,' said MFL in a statement issued on its Facebook page today. According to MFL, the clubs competing in the championship this time are Johor Darul Ta'zim FC (JDT), Selangor FC, Penang FC, Kuching City FC, Sabah FC, Terengganu FC, Negeri Sembilan FC, Kelantan Darul Naim FC, Kuala Lumpur City FC, PDRM FC and DPMM FC and two clubs from AFL A1, namely Melaka FC and Imigresen FC. Commenting further, MFL announced that this season's Malaysian League calendar will begin with a clash between JDT, the Super League champion and Selangor, the Super League runners-up in the Charity Shield match on August 8, 2025, which is also the league's opening match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Johor. Meanwhile, the FA Cup tournament will begin in mid-August, the Malaysia Cup and MFL Challenge Cup in January 2026. MFL also announced that this season's Malaysian League calendar will run for 10 months, after last season's adjustment which lasted 14 months to align the schedule with international leagues. 'MFL will release the 2025-2026 Malaysian League schedule soon as MFL is facing constraints in completing the full schedule for the season since the AFC will only hold its draw for the ACL Elite and ACL 2 competitions involving JDT and Selangor FC on August 15. 'Meanwhile, MFL is still waiting for the detailed date of the Asean Club Championship from AFF which also involves the participation of JDT and Selangor FC,' according to the MFL. — Bernama
