MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

S'pore third in AFF Cup with win over Timorese to earn Women's C'ship spot

- Kimberly Kwek

Going into their final match of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Women's Cup, the Lionesses faced mounting challenges.

The effects of fatigue and a packed playing schedule became apparent as they lost key forward Nur Farhanah Ruhaizat and first-choice goalkeeper Hazel Lim earlier in the competition.

But the injury-hit side, who already had to cope with several players' unavailability for this qualifying tournament, still had a task to accomplish - to earn a spot at the 2025 Asean Women's Championship.

At the Lao National Stadium KM16 in Vientiane on Dec 5, they got the job done as they beat Timor-Leste 1-0 in the third-place play-off to clinch the final qualifying berth for the championship, joining champions Indonesia and runners-up Cambodia, who had grabbed the first two spots.

Having achieved what they set out to do, Singapore coach Karim Bencherifa said: "I am proud of the players and the team. They fought hard and showed resilience.

"It was our fourth match in nine days, which is why we lost a few players along the way."

In a tactical change, world No. 138 Singapore started with a 3-4-3 formation instead of their usual 4-4-2 diamond.