Latest news with #AseanWomen'sChampionship
Bangkok Post
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Bangkok Post
Football Association of Thailand agrees to let Ikeda stay as Chaba Kaew coach
The Football Association of Thailand (FAT) is keeping faith in Japanese coach Futoshi Ikeda despite the national team's failure to make it to the AFC Women's Asian Cup finals in Australia next year. After a meeting, the FAT confirmed on Monday that Ikeda will continue to coach the Chaba Kaew. Thailand were denied a place in Australia 2026 after they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of India at Chiang Mai's 700th Anniversary Stadium on Saturday night. The victory helped India end the qualifying tournament with a perfect 12 points in Group B of the qualifiers as former champions Thailand missed out on the finals. The annual meeting of the FAT executive board committee agreed to let the Japanese tactician continue as the coach of the national women's team, the association's president Nualphan Lamsam told media on Monday. "We have the Asean Women's Championship in Vietnam next month and the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand in December, so we think it will be good for the team to stay under Ikeda," added Nualphan. Buriram sign new players Reigning Thai League 1 champions Buriram United have further strengthened their squad by signing four new players for the new season. Goalkeeper Korraphat Nareechan has moved to the Thunder Castle from Lamphun Warriors, while Pathompol Charoenrattanapirom from Port, and Singapore star Ilhan Fandi and Shinnaphat Leeaoh, both from BG Pathum United, have also joined the club. Top-flight newcomers Kanchanaburi Power have also announced the arrival of Malaysia international Sergio Aguero. The 31-year-old Aguero started his career in his hometown in Argentina and has played for many Malaysian clubs, with his last team being Sri Pahang before moving to Kanchanaburi.
Bangkok Post
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Bangkok Post
FAT agrees to let Ikeda stay as Chaba Kaew coach
The Football Association of Thailand (FAT) is keeping faith in Japanese coach Futoshi Ikeda despite the national team's failure to make it to the AFC Women's Asian Cup finals in Australia next year. After a meeting, the FAT confirmed on Monday that Ikeda will continue to coach the Chaba Kaew. Thailand were denied a place in Australia 2026 after they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of India at Chiang Mai's 700th Anniversary Stadium on Saturday night. The victory helped India end the qualifying tournament with a perfect 12 points in Group B of the qualifiers as former champions Thailand missed out on the finals. The annual meeting of the FAT executive board committee agreed to let the Japanese tactician continue as the coach of the national women's team, the association's president Nualphan Lamsam told media on Monday. "We have the Asean Women's Championship in Vietnam next month and the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand in December, so we think it will be good for the team to stay under Ikeda," added Nualphan. Buriram sign new players Reigning Thai League 1 champions Buriram United have further strengthened their squad by signing four new players for the new season. Goalkeeper Korraphat Nareechan has moved to the Thunder Castle from Lamphun Warriors, while Pathompol Charoenrattanapirom from Port, and Singapore star Ilhan Fandi and Shinnaphat Leeaoh, both from BG Pathum United, have also joined the club. Top-flight newcomers Kanchanaburi Power have also announced the arrival of Malaysia international Sergio Aguero. The 31-year-old Aguero started his career in his hometown in Argentina and has played for many Malaysian clubs, with his last team being Sri Pahang before moving to Kanchanaburi.
Straits Times
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Football sisters Nurhidayu and Natasha reunite for Singapore-Hong Kong friendly
Sisters Natasha Naszri (left), 17, and Nurhidayu Naszri, 21, will be representing Singapore for the international football friendly against Hong Kong. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM SINGAPORE - The last time sisters Nurhidayu and Natasha Naszri were on a football pitch together was Dec 5, 2024, when the Lionesses played the third-place play-off at the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Women's Cup. Then, the team posted a 1-0 victory over Timor-Leste to claim the final qualifying berth for the 2025 Asean Women's Championship – a first for the Singapore women's football team. Though the team later withdrew from the competition, the qualification remains a cherished memory for the sisters. 'We really sacrificed a lot and put in a lot of effort to play for that competition. So having to really win it, and achieve something, was a really happy moment for us,' said Nurhidayu, 21. The duo are looking forward to more happy moments on the field together on June 15, when the Lionesses play 80th-ranked Hong Kong in an international friendly at Choa Chu Kang Stadium. This is the world No. 139 Singaporeans' first international home fixture of 2025. Both players are among the 23-member squad picked by national women's team head coach Karim Bencherifa for the game. Left-back Nurhidayu and central midfielder Natasha, 17, have not spent much time together as the latter has been training in Spain's LaLiga academy as part of the Unleash the Roar! (UTR) overseas scholarship programme, while Nurhidayu trains here with the Lion City Sailors women's team and Temasek Polytechnic. Nurhidayu said: 'We have known each other our whole life, so we understand each other. If I have a problem, I go to her; if she has a problem, she goes to me. This stuff helps us to develop as a player as well.' Natasha has followed keenly in her older sister's footsteps, joining her first in their Telok Kurau Primary School football team, and then to the national youth team. During the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) season, they both played for the Sailors, who topped the league. When Natasha was called up to the national senior team in 2023, Nurhidayu was out due to a knee injury. Nonetheless, she still had advice for her younger sibling, telling her to 'just play, don't have to be nervous'. Family support is important for the pair as their parents, two siblings and other relatives will show up in the stadium to cheer them on during their games. Though they may be four years apart, the sisters share a close bond, as seen in their banter and teasing during the interview with The Straits Times. They bicker about their favourite football teams – Natasha supports Liverpool and Real Madrid like their father, Nurhidayu is a Tottenham Hotspur fan – and who is better at mathematics. Though they may be four years apart, the sisters share a close bond, as seen in their banter and teasing during the interview with The Straits Times. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM But playing football is serious business for them. Nurhidayu, who received her maiden call-up in 2021 and has 18 appearances to Natasha's seven, said: 'To come back and contribute for the country, it's always an honour. We take every call up as an opportunity for us to actually give what we can.' The Hong Kong game is the second fixture in the week for the Lionesses, who played the same opponents in a closed-door match on June 12. While Bencherifa did not reveal the score, he noted it was a close contest and that he was pleased with the competitiveness and performance of his team. Singapore were beaten 1-0 in their last game against Hong Kong in 2022 – Nurhidayu was also part of the team then. The two matches will also serve as preparation for the Lionesses for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers. Held in Jordan from June 23 to July 5, Singapore has been drawn into Group A alongside 68th-ranked Iran, Jordan (75), Lebanon (130), and Bhutan (171). The squad for the Hong Kong friendly and AFC tournament has an average age of 21 and comprise a mix of experienced and young players. They include senior players Lim Li Xian, captain Rosnani Azman and forward Farhanah Ruhaizat, returning overseas players Danielle Tan and Venetia Lim, and five from the UTR programme. Among the newcomers are Still Aerion's Nurul Unaisah, Albirex Niigata's Nurzaherra Maisarah and Balestier Khalsa's Sharifah Nur Amanina, who won a women's singles gold in teqball at the 2023 SEA Games. However, the Lionesses will be without key midfielder Putri Syaliza, who is studying at Oakland University in the US and is unavailable due to personal commitments. Bencherifa earlier noted that the match against Hong Kong 'will be a good test for us to assess where we are and what we need to improve on'. He added: 'We try always to have a good performance, and the result is also important.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
10-06-2025
- Sport
- AsiaOne
Singapore women's football team withdraw from Asean Women's Championship, Singapore News
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 and some players, however, were kept in the dark, and those who tuned in to watch the live broadcast of the tournament draw ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam, on June 9 were left wondering why Singapore were omitted from the draw — Timor-Leste were included instead. The FAS' statement on the withdrawal was issued only 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. 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 qualifiers and SEA Games." Many of the players are also "juggling school, work, club and national team duties" and taking time off from these commitments is challenging, added the skipper in a statement. Lionesses 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 well-being 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 U-20 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. [embed] [[nid:716956]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
New Paper
09-06-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Singapore women's football team withdraw from Asean Women's Championship
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 and some players, however, were kept in the dark, and those who tuned in to watch the live broadcast of the tournament draw ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam, on June 9 were left wondering why Singapore were omitted from the draw - Timor-Leste were included instead. The FAS' statement on the withdrawal was issued only 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. 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 qualifiers and SEA Games." Many of the players are also "juggling school, work, club and national team duties" and taking time off from these commitments is challenging, added the skipper in a statement. Lionesses 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 well-being 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 U-20 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.
