It was a temporary solution, and he saw it as something of a side gig, helping to fill a vacant role before he would take over the men’s team at Institute of Technical Education (ITE) East. But 17 years later, Ratna Sufian is properly embedded in the women’s game in Singapore, and indeed, has established himself as one of its biggest coaching names.
And on Friday, 4 April, he will lead some of Singapore’s best in a blockbuster showdown against the Ninja A-League’s Brisbane Roar at the Bishan Stadium.
The match could be considered the highest profile fixture in Ratna’s coaching career, and he broke into a smile as he looked back on his start in the women’s game. “In all honesty, I thought it was just a short-term challenge, and that I’d eventually be tasked to handle the men’s football at ITE,” the former S-League (now Singapore Premier League) player admitted.
Back in 2008, the then-29-year-old had his sights set on coaching men’s football at ITE East. But when the staff overseeing the women’s program went overseas for studies, Ratna stepped in—thinking it was just a temporary fix before moving on to the men’s game.
But as fate would have it, more coaches arrived to handle the men’s side, leaving Ratna permanently in charge of the women’s team. What started as a side project grew into a passion, and there was no looking back.
“The desire to impart what I learned as a player to the next generation just grew from there,” he reflected.
Sunisa ‘Nancy’ Srangthaisong (left) in the training session.
His first real taste of women’s football competitions came with Tampines Rovers in the Women’s League in 2017 before he led the now-defunct Simei United to a second-place finish in the Women’s National League (WNL) in 2018. That achievement earned them promotion to the Women’s Premier League (WPL) the following season—and Ratna, the WNL Coach of the Year award.
He then spent two seasons with Balestier Khalsa before joining Geylang International in 2023, where he orchestrated another remarkable turnaround—lifting the club from a ninth-place finish in its debut season to an impressive third-place finish in 2024, enroute to winning himself another personal accolade: the WPL Coach of the Year gong.
His impact extended beyond club football. From 2021 to October 2022, he served as the assistant coach of the Singapore National Women’s Team, before stepping up as interim head coach from October 2022 to February 2023.
Ratna knows that leading his team of amateur footballers — who juggle football with day jobs and school commitments — against the professional Aussie outfit that is the Roar will be challenging., But he is confident in the women he has brought together in the All-Star side.
“Brisbane is a top-class team, which is why I selected the best performers from last season across various clubs,” he explained. “I believe we have players who can handle the heat in every department.”
Kana Kitahara (left) in the training session.
But what sets this team apart isn’t just their talent—it is something most would not expect from a selection side—there is much familiarity and understanding within the squad.
Many of these players have played under Ratna, whether at ITE, the National Under-19s, or the senior national team. While the team began their centralised training two days before the match, that deep connection, he believes, is his secret weapon.
“The good thing about this WPL All-Stars squad is that I’ve crossed paths with many of these players before. The chemistry between them—and even between them and myself—is already there,” he said.
“Some of them I’ve coached since their youth days, some have gone on to the national team, and even the players I haven’t worked with before have been professional and are seasoned veterans. Former World Cup players like [Albirex Niigata’s Kana Kitahara] and [Still Aerion Sunisa ‘Nancy’ Srangthaisong], along with other foreign players, have been top-class in terms of attitude and professionalism,” he added.
Ratna was not shy to declare that he is plotting for the match to be a bit of a spectacle, a billboard for the women’s game here: “We want fans on the edge of their seats. We want to entertain and play beautiful football.
“This is their chance for our players to showcase their talents, not just for themselves, but for everyone who’s put in the hard work to get the Women’s Premier League where it is today,” Ratna said.
And it is about much more than just the final score. This match symbolises the long and hard-fought journey the women’s game in Singapore has taken to reach this point. “I want them to have the belief that they can stand tall against the best teams in the region. And by the end of this match, they’ll have the confidence and experience to push even further and be better in the future,” he said.
As Ratna sees it, this is the perfect time for Singaporeans to see what their female footballers have to offer. And maybe like he did, you will fall in love with the women’s game.
He said simply: “Come and support women’s football, see what we’re all about.”
Fans can get their tickets to the match between WPL All-Stars and Brisbane Roar here!
