Lion City Sailors Women’s Team secured their third consecutive WPL title, September 2024.
SINGAPORE, 20 FEBRUARY 2025 – The 24th season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will kick off on Saturday, 1 March 2025, with nine teams competing across 18 match weeks at a centralised venue, Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
WPL teams have been making various moves to strengthen their squads in the off season, including a Tiong Bahru side that has opened its doors to a familiar face. Former Singapore international Lim Li Xian, who has 29 caps and two goals to her name, returns to help Tiong Bahru improve on the club’s seventh placed finish last season.
After spending two-and-a-half years in Madrid working as a derivatives trader and playing for amateur club C.D. San Roque E.F.F., the 29-year-old is champing at the bit to jump back into the WPL, where she previously played for the now-defunct Warriors FC from 2015 to 2019.
“I have really missed playing alongside teammates I’ve known since I was young, and having the support of family and friends. Coming back, I knew I wanted to play with my old Warriors teammates, and Tiong Bahru felt like the perfect fit (because several of them play here now). I’ve never worked with Coach Ngiap Tai, but I’ve heard great things about him, and training has been going well so far,” she said.
“I hope to contribute to improving Tiong Bahru’s standings from last year. We are players coming from different backgrounds and different teams, but I believe we can gel as we train and play together.”
Due to the odd number of teams, Lim and her Tiong Bahru teammates will have a bye in the opening week, with their season scheduled to kick off on Saturday, 15 March 2025, against Still Aerion.
This season marks an interesting season for the league, with the Women’s National Team lining up in three international competitions across the year – the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup Qualifiers, the ASEAN Women’s Championships, and December’s SEA Games in Thailand.
“Because of the packed calendar, the WPL will play an even bigger role for the Lionesses than it did in previous years. The league will be important in keeping our local-based players sharp and competitive while also providing opportunities for national coaches to uncover new talent who can represent Singapore on the international stage,” said Football Association of Singapore (FAS) General Secretary Chew Chun-Liang.
“Women’s Head Coach Karim Bencherifa has already set aside two FIFA windows in February and April for the WPL clubs to prepare their squads for the league, and I look forward to a year of closer collaboration between the FAS and clubs.”
He added: “It’s going to be an exciting season with all clubs having strengthened, and I’m looking forward to the competition.”
Albirex midfielder Manami Fukuzawa’s 23 goals saw her finish the season as the 2024 league’s top scorer, September 2024.
The 2025 season kicks off with Balestier Khalsa facing Tanjong Pagar on Saturday, 1 March, followed by Still Aerion taking on BG Tampines Rovers on Sunday, 2 March.
During Ramadhan, matches will kick off at 7:45 pm but the schedule will revert to two matches per day on Saturdays and Sundays, with the first match at 5:00 pm and the second at 7:30 pm in April.
The full schedule of fixtures can be found here. There is free admission to all WPL matches at Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
Participating teams are allowed to register up to 25 players, with a maximum of four foreigners. Full details on rules and regulations can be found here.
Deloitte is concluding its role as title sponsor of the WPL, but the competition prize pool remains unchanged. The 2025 league champions will be awarded S$25,000, while the first and second runners-up will receive S$10,000 and S$7,500 respectively.
“We sincerely thank Deloitte for their support of the WPL over the past three years.
“Deloitte’s sponsorship has helped the league’s development, and we are grateful for their efforts to raise the profile of women’s football in Singapore,” said Mr Chew who shared that FAS is actively engaging with potential sponsors to bring fresh support and investment to the league.
“We are excited about the future and look forward to building on the momentum created by Deloitte’s sponsorship. New partnerships will help us continue to provide opportunities for women in football, and the future of the WPL is bright as we move forward,” he added.
“It has been a pleasure to journey with WPL,” said James Walton, Deloitte’s Sports Business Group Leader for Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia.
“The goal of our sponsorship was to support the development of women’s football in Singapore and we are pleased to see improvements in the women’s game, including a centralised competition venue that lends itself to elite competition, and the increase in young players coming through the ranks of clubs through to the Singapore national team.
“Deloitte regularly reviews our sponsorships so that we can give support to a broad base of groups in our society. Even as we sunset our time with WPL, we remain supporters and fans of women’s football, and committed to partnerships that help advance sports in Singapore,” he added.
“We wish the WPL clubs the best in what we hope will be another exciting season ahead.”
Fans can follow updates of the league on the WPL’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, as well as on the league’s official website.
