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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Lionesses to regroup after challenging Asian Women's Cup qualifier
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Singapore's Kyra Elise Taylor (left) trying to take the ball off Lebanon's Mya Rose Mhanna in their Asian Women's Cup qualifier fixture on July 19, 2025. SINGAPORE – Four defeats in four games with13 goals conceded against two scored – the numbers sum up Singapore's tough campaign at the recent Asian Women's Cup qualifying tournament. In Amman, Jordan, the world No. 139 Lionesses finished bottom of Group A with zero points after losing to the hosts (0-5), Iran (0-4), Lebanon (0-1), and Bhutan (2-3). Humbled on the Asian stage, the results have revealed the areas of improvement for Singapore to close the gap with their regional counterparts. Head coach Karim Bencherifa said: 'The team showed tremendous effort and resilience throughout the qualifiers. While the scorelines didn't reflect the full picture, we had competitive moments, especially in the opening match against Bhutan and the final game against Lebanon. 'Despite the challenges, the players showed strong commitment and fought for every minute. These matches exposed areas we need to grow in, particularly physical conditioning and consistency, but also gave us important lessons to build on.' Originally scheduled from June 23 to July 5, the competition was delayed due to the escalating Iran-Israel conflict, forcing the Asian Football Confederation to relocate and reschedule the tournament. The games were subsequently held at the original venue at the King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman from July 7 to 19, after Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH Singapore 2 workers stranded on gondola dangling outside Raffles City Tower rescued by SCDF Business Why Singapore and its businesses stand to lose with US tariffs on the region Singapore Medallions with Singapore Botanic Gardens' iconic landmarks launched to mark milestone-filled year Life WP chairwoman Sylvia Lim to publish memoir with Epigram Books in 2027 Business $1.1 billion allocated to three fund managers to boost Singapore stock market: MAS Singapore Jail for man who conspired with another to bribe MOH agency employee with $18k Paris trip Singapore Jail, caning for man who held metal rod to cashier's neck in failed robbery attempt But the tournament began on a challenging note for Singapore against 171st-ranked Bhutan, as the Lionesses suffered multiple injuries. Four of their five substitutions were due to injury, leaving the team with only 10 players for about 17 minutes of the match, which Bencherifa said was physically and mentally exhausting. He added: 'The disruptions and injuries had a real impact... That naturally affected our rhythm and limited how we could rotate or manage players in the following matches. Still, the team kept their heads up and stayed committed. 'These challenges exposed the importance of squad depth and physical preparedness, especially in high level tournaments like this.' As the tournament progressed, Singapore came up against tough opposition, including world No. 68 Iran, who secured a spot in the 2026 Asian Cup in Australia as group winners, and 75th-ranked Jordan. They wrapped up their campaign with a 1-0 loss to world No. 130 Lebanon. Even though the results were not in their favour, captain Siti Rosnani Azman stressed that the team gave their best, while acknowledging that there is much room for improvement. The defender said: 'We tried not to dwell on it so much (on the tough matches and defeats) and pick ourselves up to go again. 'Of course, we do talk about it to clarify certain things but that doesn't stop us from giving our best for the next game.' Rosnani, who earned her 50th cap against Lebanon, said the team also had to adapt to other factors such as the weather, a different time zone and travel. She said: 'It shouldn't be an excuse, but I think as players we need to be able to take good care of ourselves. 'The medical team had been doing their best to keep everyone on top. After getting through the early phase, we managed to handle it well. The ability to adapt is very important and it should start with the player mindset.' Fitness is also a major concern, with Bencherifa noting that several goals were conceded in the final 25 minutes of the matches. Of the 13 goals Singapore let in, six were scored after the 65th minute. Bencherifa said: 'To move forward, we must find ways to better support players in committing to regular physical preparation, recovery, and strength work – not just for performance, but for injury prevention.' Raising the bar in fitness and conditioning is one area that will need to be addressed as Singapore look to catch up to their regional rivals, said the Moroccan. Gaining more exposure to high-level matches is also essential, he added, as well as creating an environment that allows players to train more consistently with support in nutrition and recovery. Consistency and continuity remain a challenge as they often travel without their full squad due to players' work commitments or other obligations, he noted. For instance, the postponement of the qualifiers left the team without key players such as forward Danelle Tan, who had to attend to mandatory administrative requirements for her transfer to Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza. Despite these challenges, the team are looking ahead to their next major competition – the SEA Games in December. Preparations for the biennial tournament in Thailand will begin after the Women's Premier League in August. Bencherifa shared that there are plans for a training camp and high-level international matches in the lead-up to the tournament. He added: 'The goal is to improve not only team cohesion and tactical readiness but also to prepare players holistically – physically, mentally, and emotionally – to compete at the SEA Games level.'
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
One killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes in college campus
Find out what's new on ST website and app. DHAKA - One person was killed as a Bangladesh air force training aircraft crashed in a college campus in the capital city of Dhaka on July 21, a fire services official said. The incident occurred in Dhaka's northern area of Uttara, the military's public relations department said in a statement. "Bangladesh Air Force's F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed in Uttara. The aircraft took off at 1.06pm (3.06pm, Singapore time)," it said. Videos of the aftermath of the crash showed a big fire near a lawn emitting a thick plume of smoke into the sky, as crowds watched from a distance. At least four people were injured and taken to a military hospital in the area, local newspaper Prothom Alo said, citing the duty officer at the fire service control room. The daily said that initial reports indicated the plane had crashed on the roof of the college canteen. Reuters could not independently verify this information. The incident comes a little over a month after an Air India plane crashed on top of a medical college hostel in neighbouring India's Ahmedabad city, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground, marking the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 2 workers stranded on gondola dangling outside Raffles City Tower rescued by SCDF Business Why Singapore and its businesses stand to lose with US tariffs on the region Business $1.1 billion allocated to three fund managers to boost Singapore stock market: MAS Singapore Medallions with Singapore Botanic Gardens' iconic landmarks launched to mark milestone-filled year Life WP chairwoman Sylvia Lim to publish memoir with Epigram Books in 2027 Singapore Proof & Company Spirits closes Singapore distribution business Singapore Jail, caning for man who held metal rod to cashier's neck in failed robbery attempt Singapore Fresh charge for woman who harassed nurse during pandemic, created ruckus at lion dance competition
