SINGAPORE, 19 JUNE 2025 – 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 (AFC) announced the postponement of all Group A matches.
Initially scheduled to take place in Amman from 23 June to 5 July, the matches are now tentatively set to be held from 7 to 19 July. The AFC cited the ongoing situation in the Middle East and logistical concerns raised by several Participating Member Associations (PMAs) as reasons for the change.
A new neutral venue is expected to host the group fixtures, but has yet to be confirmed.
The AFC has emphasised its intention to complete all qualification matches ahead of the final tournament draw on 29 July 2025.
Drawn into Group A, Singapore are set to face hosts Jordan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Lebanon, and Bhutan. The Lionesses were scheduled to depart for the Jordanian capital on Friday, 20 June 2025. Despite the disruption to their plans, the team remains focused and prepared.
“We have prepared well, the players have worked very hard, but these are things beyond our control. The team has shown resilience throughout our preparation phase, and we will regroup and stay focused,” said Head Coach Karim Bencherifa.
“This postponement does affect our momentum, timelines and possibly player-availability, but we’ll use the time to consolidate, adapt our planning, and continue building towards the rest of our international calendar.
“The staff and players are fully committed to the cause and while we will need to adapt – we are ready for when the competition resumes.”
Lioness captain Rosnani Azman added: “Of course we were looking forward to competing, but safety comes first. As a team, we’ve always believed in adapting and staying ready. We’ll keep training hard and supporting one another, and make sure we’re ready when the time comes.”
The Lionesses will continue their preparations locally while awaiting further details from the AFC.
