Latest news with #KarimBencherifa
Independent Singapore
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
Singapore Lionesses aim to deliver a strong comeback against Iran in the Asian Cup qualifying match
Photo: Instagram/fasingapore The Singapore Lionesses are back in the game, only days after a thrilling and hard-fought match against Bhutan. The national team will now battle against the Islamic Republic of Iran squad, who will be competing in their opening Group A qualifier for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026. The Iranian team will come into the game with two wins, one draw, and two losses in their last five games. Iran first appeared in the Asian Cup back in 2022, and is currently 68th in the rankings. With this, the team is eager to leave a strong impression in this tournament. Having played against Iran in 2019, Singapore's captain, Rosnani Azman, is prepared for what's to come. She said: ' I know it's not going to be an easy match because Iran is a strong team. I played against them in 2019, and they are quite physical and big.' National team's campaign updates The Lionesses started their campaign with an intense battle against Bhutan. Their initial optimism in the match was undermined by various injuries in the second half of the game. This has prompted the national team's head coach, Karim Bencherifa, to focus on the athlete's recovery and squad rotation before their game against Iran starts. 'We're working closely with the medical team to bring back as many injured players as possible and have them available for the match,' the coach admitted. She added: 'I'm very optimistic that many of them will be back and we can regroup… This game is another test of our resilience and our fighting spirit… The players were so disappointed after the first game and were completely shattered, but they bounced back and continued fighting — and we will keep pushing until we achieve our targets.' Understanding the tough challenges ahead, Bencherifa and the squad expect to compete against several seasoned players from their opponents' team. This includes goalkeeper Zahra Khajavi, who is considered one of Iran's finest, and forward Zahra Ghanbari, the national team's leading scorer with 16 international goals. 'We're definitely making some adjustments to our strategy to adapt to the expected higher level of intensity — bringing in more fresh legs and shifting our approach to suit the demands of the match,' Bencherifa shared. Rosnani also added: 'The fact that we kept pushing through in our match against Bhutan — that's what matters… It's no excuse for us not to do our best, no matter what. We will put up a good performance.' () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Straits Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Lionesses eager to get delayed Asian Cup qualifying campaign under way
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Forward Farhanah Ruhaizat is looking forward to facing new sides and seeing where the Lionesses stand against their continental counterparts. SINGAPORE – After a period of uncertainty due to the conflict in the Middle East, the national women's football team are eager to return to action as they kick off their 2026 Women's Asian Cup qualifying campaign against Bhutan on July 7. Originally slated to take place from June 23 to July 5 in Jordan's capital Amman, the escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict prompted the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to delay and relocate the competition just days before it was set to begin. The Group A matches were initially shifted to Qatar, before a US-brokered ceasefire on June 24 allowed the games to return to their original location – the King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman – from July 7 to 19. National head coach Karim Bencherifa admitted the two-week postponement disrupted world No. 139 Singapore's plans, as preparations had been timed to ensure players were in peak physical form for the original schedule. But the Moroccan said safety was also a major concern and, now that it has been addressed, his players are ready to compete. He said: 'We're excited to finally go and play the games, the players as well. The momentum could have been better if we would have gone (earlier) – the momentum was so nice when we played that game (an international friendly) against Hong Kong on (June) 15th and we were flying a few days later. 'It was good momentum, we had the full squad. Now we're picking up again.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore First BTO project in Sembawang North to be offered in July launch Business High Court orders Instagram seller to pay Louis Vuitton $200,000 in damages over counterfeit goods Singapore MOH studying 18 proposals to integrate TCM into public healthcare Singapore TTSH to demolish century-old pavilion wards, keeping one as heritage marker Asia Malaysian commando dies during military diving exercise off Kuantan coast Singapore Overlooked 'glass child', the sibling of a special-needs kid Singapore Red Lions and naval divers join forces for Jump of Unity at NDP 2025 Singapore His world crashed when he got F9 in O-level Tamil but PropNex co-founder Ismail Gafoor beat the odds The Lionesses' opening match against world No. 171 Bhutan will be followed by fixtures against Iran (68), Jordan (75) and Lebanon (130). Only the group winners will progress to the Women's Asian Cup, which will be staged in Australia in March 2026. Although most of the squad was retained despite the tournament taking place outside the Fifa international window, there are some notable absences due to other circumstances. Forward Danelle Tan will miss out due to mandatory administrative requirements related to her transfer to a new club, while midfielder Venetia Lim, who plays in Australia for Eltham Redbacks in the state's second-tier Victoria Premier League Womens, is sidelined with a tendon injury in her left knee sustained during the June 15 friendly against Hong Kong. Forward Sharifah Nur Amanina will also miss the tournament to attend to a family illness. Geylang International defender Elyssa Qistina, 19, has been called up as a replacement and will hope to make her senior debut at the tournament. Bencherifa acknowledged that the absence of Tan and Lim have added to the challenge, but said tactical adjustments have been made and stressed his belief in his squad. He said: 'There are always solutions. Danelle and Venetia are both our best players but we had to do some tactical adjustments based on positions, you may even be surprised to see some players who are out of position to cover all this, but I have full faith in the players who are going.' He also praised the team's commitment, highlighting that many players made significant sacrifices, with some having to change personal plans, including cancelling trips and flights, to remain part of the team. Forward Farhanah Ruhaizat, who works in operations at ActiveSG, said she was fortunate to have her employer's support, allowing her to reschedule her leave. The last-minute changes may have caused some disruption, but were not unexpected for Farhanah and her teammates, who kept themselves updated of the situation in the Middle East through social media. The 26-year-old said: 'On the bright side, we get to spend more time training together and preparing for it. 'It was quite chill, we didn't really panic so much, we are glad that we have the time to train because it was not like it was over... we knew that it was going to happen.' Forward Chloe Koh, an Unleash The Roar! scholarship recipient at IMG Academy in the United States, now faces less time between this tournament and the Under-20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers in Hanoi from Aug 2 to 10. Forward Chloe Koh will be involved in the Under-20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers in Hanoi. PHOTO: FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE But the 18-year-old remains unfazed by the compressed schedule, saying: 'I was looking forward to a break between the two, but now they're back-to-back, but I've just taken it in my stride.' For the players, the opportunity to finally step onto the pitch and test themselves against new opponents is one they have waited for. Farhanah said: 'I'm just excited to know that we are going to compete against teams that we've never competed before. 'It's kind of interesting and exciting to see where we stand against these countries and we're excited to play.'
Independent Singapore
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
Lionesses captain calls Hong Kong clash a ‘balanced fight' despite early stoppage and 1–0 deficit
Singapore's last home match before the start of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup was halted due to heavy rains. Despite the unfortunate cancellation, Singapore's national team, the Lionesses, showed their determination as they fought against Hong Kong, which is ranked 59 places higher. The Singaporean team had a great start at the friendly match, which was held at Choa Chu Kang Stadium. It was, however, called off four minutes into the second half with Hong Kong leading 1-0 at that point. Highlights of the match Winger Farah Nurzahirah made two early chances, but the play was stopped after 17 minutes due to a lightning warning, causing a one-hour delay. When the match resumed, Hong Kong increased their game, but 18-year-old goalkeeper Izairida Shakira made several key saves. A defensive mistake gave Hong Kong's Leung Hong Liu Anke an opportunity to score. Hong Kong nearly scored again before halftime. The second half saw the return of veteran midfielder Lim Li Xian, adding more experience to the match. Singapore kept pressing, but the worsening weather led to the match being cancelled. With this, Lionesses' Head Coach, Karim Bencherifa, remained optimistic and shared encouraging aspects from the game. 'I think the players worked really hard under difficult conditions. We were looking to continue, but it's still a positive outcome. A lot of work remains, but game after game, we're progressing,' he said. 'Kudos to Hong Kong – gave us two good games. Even though today's game didn't finish, I was very happy with what I saw,' he added. Furthermore, the Lionesses' team captain, Rosnani Azman, reflected on the team's performance and shared her thoughts. In a video shared on social media, she said, 'I think we did quite well… I mean, of course, playing against Hong Kong, who's like 80th ranking – it was a strong opponent.' The athlete added, 'I actually believe that it was a balanced fight. You can see that both teams are attacking, and we also create chances. It's just that we couldn't convert it into a goal… But I think it was a good fight, leading to the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.' Some netizens disagreed with the post, questioning the fairness of the match. One remarked bluntly, 'A loss is not balanced.' The Lionesses are now preparing for the AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifiers. They will leave and go to Amman, the capital of Jordan, which will host all the Group A matches.
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.
