Six years after their first encounter with Iran in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, Lim Li Xian and the Lionesses stepped onto the pitch once more against the same formidable opponent — this time armed with more experience, and a quiet, unshakeable resolve.
While the Lionesses showed a lot of heart, grit and unity on Thursday (10 July) against the women of the Islamic Republic of Iran, they still fell 4-0 to the 68th-ranked Iranians at the King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, Jordan.
Coming off a narrow defeat to Bhutan two days prior,, the team knew exactly what sort of challenge awaited when they stood across the pitch from Iran. Among the Singapore starting eleven, only Li Xian and captain Rosnani Azman had previously faced Iran, when the team suffered a 6-0 defeat.
For Li Xian, that familiarity brought a sense of calm.
“It was quite comforting to know that we were playing against a team we’ve played before because we know their physicality and we know what to expect from it,” said Li Xian. “But this time the onus was on us to remind the younger players to play to our strengths and not try to play their game.”
“Our pressing was more coherent this time,we pressed together, stayed compact, and the team spirit was there — we didn’t let ourselves collapse even when goals came against us,” she added.
That mindset helped the Lionesses weather early pressure. Iran dominated possession from the outset, going close with a header in the eighth minute, a powerful strike just wide two minutes later, and dangerous crosses that kept the Singapore defence on edge.
The breakthrough came in the 18th minute when Iran’s Fatemeh Shaban latched onto a loose ball in the penalty box, and curled it past Izairida Shakira in the Singapore goal.
Despite conceding a goal, the Lionesses seemed to grow into the match, even fashioning chances of their own.
In the 24th minute, debutant Nurul Unaisah broke free and found herself staring into the eyes of Iranian goalkeeper Zahra Khajavi. Her shot was saved, but the intent was clear.
Minutes later, Li Xian tested Khajavi again, this time with a well-struck freekick that forced a scrambling save, in what was a sign of the Lionesses’ growing confidence.
The Singapore defence were still under pressure from Iranian attacks, but the Lionesses held firm and went into the break trailing just 1-0.
An unchanged Singapore side returned after the break, clearly determined to stay in the fight, but Iran wasted no time — just a minute into the second half, they doubled their lead.
A cross from Iranian substitute Zahra Alizadeh found her teammate, forward Sara Didar, who cut through a gap in the Singapore’ defence to finish cleanly and make it 2-0.
Singapore struggled to break through Iran’s final third, and the physical toll began to show. Rosnani blocked a hard shot with her torso while tracking back, while debutant Nurzaherra Maisarah took a knock to her ankle as she slid in to stop Negin Zandi on the right flank.
Head Coach Karim Bencherifa made two substitutions that helped steady the ship: Maisarah was replaced by Ardhra Arul, and Kyra Taylor made way for Cara Chang.
But Iran still extended their lead in the 77th minute when Shaban fired a shot from the left flank that Shakira could not keep out. Just a minute later, Dhaniyah Qasimah injured her hamstring, forcing a change in the Singapore side, with Nasriah Ibrahim coming on.
Iran’s fourth and final goal came in the 84th minute, when a well-timed through ball split the defence for Zahra Ghanbari to finish. Shortly after, Syazwani Ruzi suffered an injury and had to be stretchered off, with Elyssa Qistina coming on to see out the match.
Even as the clock ticked down, the Lionesses soldiered on, and Li Xian noticed one positive change — the pitch was noisier than usual.
“There was a lot of communication going on during the match, which was good,” she said.
“Usually sometimes only the seniors speak, but this time a lot more teammates encouraged each other and talked through tactics.”
This growing dialogue seemed to help the Lionesses stay focused and tactically disciplined, even as fatigue and injuries threatened to unravel the team.
Bencherifa praised his players’ heart and commitment, calling the performance another step in the right direction.
“Iran is an all-rounded team with several big and quality ball players like their Zandi and Ghanbari. But credit to my players — despite the limitations, they played their hearts out,” he said.
He shared GPS data that revealed several players broke their own records for distance covered and sprints — a testament to the sheer physical effort on show against Iran.
“We still fell short because their level is very high compared to what we’re used to. We had to make forced substitutions due to injuries in both matches, but we managed the game better today,” added Bencherifa.
For Li Xian, the match was an indicator of how far she and the team have come — and how much more they are capable of.
“Previously, when we played higher-ranked teams, we would get flustered because the game goes very fast, and when goals come in, it’s easy to get demoralised. But this time, we didn’t let the goals affect us so much,” she said.
“Every time I went back in, I told myself to learn from mistakes and do better, and I think that we showed maturity in how we responded during the match.”
Li Xian hopes that as the Lionesses prepare for their next test against Jordan, the lessons from Iran will be taken on board by everyone in the camp.
“Jordan will be a tough opponent, and having faced Iran, we have a better understanding of what is required at this level,” said Li Xian.
“We’ll settle faster and be ready to fight hard again.”
