Their 1-0 win over Timor-Leste in the AFF Women’s Cup 2024 third-place play-off secures a spot in the 2025 ASEAN Women’s Championship, December 2024.
VIENTIANE, 6 DECEMBER 2024 – The path to qualification was arduous: four matches in nine days, mounting fatigue, and injuries to key players. But when the final whistle went on Thursday, 5 December at National Stadium KM16, Singapore’s Lionesses finally breathed a sigh of relief.
They will leave the Laotian capital of Vientiane with targets met.
Karim Bencherifa’s charges beat Timor-Leste 1-0 in a decisive third-place play-off in the 2024 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Cup to secure their tickets to next year’s ASEAN Women’s Championships.
An early goal gave the Lionesses an advantage, but the real challenge lay in holding onto that slim lead. For 96 intense minutes, they defended resolutely, digging deep to secure a hard-fought 1-0 win. The victory not only earned them a place on the podium but also sealed qualification for the 2025 ASEAN Women’s Championship.
“I’m very happy for the players who worked so hard to achieve this. Many of them were in the off-season, and a few good players couldn’t make it due to injuries or other commitments,” said Lioness Head Coach Karim.
“Considering all of this, I’m truly grateful for those who made it here and gave everything. We really had to dig deep to achieve our objective of qualification.”
The Lionesses took the lead after just seven minutes through a Putri Nur Syaliza free kick. The set piece was awarded after Nurhidayu Naszri was fouled by Timor-Leste’s Maria Auxiliadora Martins da Conceicao just outside the box. Timor-Leste goalkeeper Gorette de Fatima initially blocked the shot but appeared to do so behind the goal line. After a moment of confusion, the referee awarded the goal.
But Timor-Leste, described by Karim as the “surprise package” of the tournament, did not make it easy. Singapore pressed for a second goal, but their opponents responded with dangerous counter-attacks.
In the 50th minute, Timor-Leste had a controversial corner with the ball being cleared when it was from under the crossbar. Fortunately for Singapore, the referee ruled that the ball did not cross the line. Ten minutes later, a swift counter-attack saw Timor-Leste’s striker almost break through, but the Lionesses’ defence held firm.
Despite dominating possession and creating chances in the second half, Singapore’s switch to an unconventional 1-3-4-3 formation—a more attacking setup compared to their usual 1-4-4-2 diamond—did not result in additional goals.
But it successfully kept 159th-ranked Timor-Leste at bay.
Singapore’s second-choice goalkeeper, 17-year-old Nurul Illyanis Khairul, making just her second international appearance, had a relatively quiet game as the Lionesses managed to secure the narrow victory.
While the team can now rest easy as they end the year on a high, Karim admitted that there were missed opportunities to do even better: “While the new formation worked, I wish we had taken our chances and finished the game with two or three goals rather than staying under pressure with the 1-0 lead,” he said.
Despite a tough campaign, there were numerous bright spots for the Lionesses. The Singapore squad, with an average age of 20.6 years, was the youngest.
Indonesia’s average age was 21.6 years and Cambodia’s 22.6 years.
Faith Ho made her senior debut in the third-place playoff match against Timor-Leste, December 2024.
20 out of the 23 Lionesses saw action, with five under the age of 20 earning their first cap. The youngest in the squad, 16-year-old Cara Chang scored her first senior international goal against Laos, while Farhanah Ruhaizat also found the net during the tournament, scoring her second international goal for the country.
Putri, who was named Player of the Match against Timor-Leste, said: “I feel proud of every single one of us. We pushed through to the 90th minute. Even though we lost in the semis, we still woke up every day and pushed through with the courage to show up and win. I’m really happy that we qualified for the AFF, and I can’t wait to play with the girls again.”
The Singapore women have a busy year ahead in 2025, in addition to the ASEAN Championships, they will also fly the flag at the Bangkok SEA Games.
“We need to stay humble and recognize that a lot of work needs to be done to compete at a higher level,” said Karim.
“We hope this win will create a new dynamic in our team, and everyone will pull together to achieve the best results possible and make our fans back home proud.”
SINGAPORE: Nurul Illyanis (GK), Rosnani Azman (C), Syazwani Ruzi, Yasmine Zaharin, Qarissa Ramadhani, Natasha Naszri, Cara Chang (Summer Chong 46′), Summer Chong (Faith Ho 84′), Farah Nurzahirah, Putri Syaliza, Nurhidayu Naszri (Chloe Koh 90’+4), Venetia Lim
SUBS: Elizabeth Tan (GK), Elyssa Qistina, Raudhah Kamis, Joie Teo, Hamizah Talib, Nasriah Ibrahim, Kyra Taylor
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