Lionesses can rely on sisterly connection again

The last time sisters Nurhidayu and Natasha Naszri were on a competition pitch together was Dec 5, 2024, when the Lionesses played the third-place play-off at the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Women's Cup.

- Hana Chen

Then, the team posted a 1-0 victory over Timor-Leste to claim the final qualifying berth for the 2025 Asean Women's Championship - a first for the Singapore women's football team.

Although the team later withdrew from the tournament, the qualification remains a cherished memory for the sisters.

"We really sacrificed a lot and put in a lot of effort to play for that competition. So having to really win it (third place), and achieve something, was a really happy moment for us," said Nurhidayu.

The duo are looking forward to more happy moments on the field together on June 15, when the Lionesses play 80th-ranked Hong Kong in an international friendly at Choa Chu Kang Stadium.

This is the world No. 139 Singaporeans' first official international home fixture of 2025.

Both players are among the 23-member squad picked by national women's team head coach Karim Bencherifa for the game.

Left-back Nurhidayu, 21, and central midfielder Natasha, 17, have not spent much time together as the latter has been training in Spain's La Liga academy as part of the Unleash the Roar! (UTR) overseas scholarship programme, while Nurhidayu trains here with the Lion City Sailors women's team and Temasek Polytechnic.