SINGAPORE, 9 JUNE 2025 – The Singapore Women’s National Team has withdrawn from the ASEAN Women’s Championship (6-19 August), this despite the fact that the women qualified for the tournament on merit by finishing third at the AFF Women’s Cup last December.
The decision-making process involved careful consideration of overlapping fixtures, team readiness, and our broader commitment to key Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions.
Two competitions – the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers (23 June to 5 July), and the AFC Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers (2-10 August) – were major factors leading up to the decision. The year-ending Thailand SEA Games (9-20 December) were also taken into consideration.
The withdrawal was not a decision taken lightly, but one shaped by the need to manage player welfare, maintain performance standards, and prepare teams meaningfully for the challenges ahead.
“We worked hard to qualify on merit for the Championship, and we are all disappointed that it has come to this. But with important tournaments coming in quick succession – and some even overlapping – our top priority must be to protect the health and well-being of our players,” said Head Coach Karim Bencherifa.
His current women’s national team has an average age of about 21 years, with players having to manage leave from work and school commitments in a year that sees four major women’s competitions take place overseas.
“We explained at a Media Briefing in February that we need to prioritise tournament participation this year, and the FAS Technical Department has decided to prioritise our participation in this manner. This is to ensure that our women’s team has the best chance of staying fit and fresh, and able to perform at their best,” added Bencherifa.
The schedule for the AFC U20 Qualifiers (2-10 Aug) directly overlaps with the ASEAN Women’s Championship (6-19 Aug).
“Our immediate focus is the Asian Cup Qualifiers then the U20 Qualifiers, followed by the SEA Games in Bangkok at the end of the year. These are major milestones for the team, and we are committed to ensuring our players are in the best condition to perform at their highest level.”
The FAS’ ultimate responsibility is to empower our national teams — men’s and women’s, across all age groups — to perform to the best of their abilities and deliver results that make Singapore proud. This means ensuring they compete in the right tournaments, at the right time, with the right resources and preparation.
“It’s disappointing, no doubt. We are proud to qualify for the Championship, and we were all looking forward to testing ourselves against strong regional opponents,” said Lionesses’ skipper Rosnani Azman.
“But at the same time, we understand how important it is to prioritise our readiness and recovery, especially with so many key tournaments coming up. Many of us are also juggling school, work, club and national team duties — taking time off is proving challenging,” she added.
“We trust the coaches and staff are making the right decisions for our growth and performance. Right now, our focus is on being fully prepared for the Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers and the SEA Games later this year.”
The FAS deeply values our longstanding relationship with the AFF and continue to engage them in good faith as we assess our options. Regional competitions are an important part of football development in Southeast Asia, and we remain open to future opportunities for collaboration and participation.
We thank our supporters and stakeholders for their understanding as we work to serve the best interests of Singapore football.
