The Singapore Women’s National Team will host Hong Kong in two Women’s ‘A’ International Friendlies on 23 and 26 June as part of the squad’s preparation for the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship 2022.
The Lionesses, who are ranked 135th in the Fifa world rankings, will take on 78th-ranked Hong Kong during the international window to build on their momentum from the FAS Tri-Nations Series 2022 (Women’s) and 31st Southeast Asian Games.
Both matches will be held at Jalan Besar Stadium and kick off at 8pm.
Head Coach Stephen Ng has named a provisional squad of 29 players who will do battle against the 2018 Asian Games quarterfinalists, with inclusions of several debutants who have impressed in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League – goalkeeper Nur Haziqah Haszman, midfielders Irsalina Irwan, Alyssa Deanna Yazrin and forward Claire Marie Tay.
Coach Ng has also recalled midfielder Lila Tan and promoted forward Summer Chong who was part of the Under-19 national team and currently plays for Black Rock Football Club as part of her studies abroad in High Mowing School in New Hampshire, United States of America.
He said: “We will be going into these friendlies against Hong Kong with a clear objective: to further expose our players to a higher level of competition and to prepare for our Group A matches in July. Hong Kong is an experienced and seasoned Asian side, and we are grateful to have this opportunity to play them. The two fixtures will allow us to maximise our efforts, while giving us room to make adjustments and adapt to the higher intensity, especially for the debutants who will experience their first international match. By continually competing against quality oppositions, we can make strides in our development to become a strong contender in Southeast Asia in the future.”
Tickets will go on sale today, 16 June 2022, at 5pm on fas.org.sg/tickets. They will be priced at S$10.00 for adults and S$5.00 for concession, applicable for students aged 16 and below, and senior citizens aged 60 and above, with a valid concession card. Concession cards and a recent photo identification will be requested upon entry for verification purposes.
Fans can also purchase the Singapore bundle for both matches to enjoy a 10 per cent discount, priced at S$18.00 for adults and S$9.00 for concession, excluding booking fees.
Fans will need to show proof of full vaccination* and complete the mandatory bag checks. Refunds will not be issued to those who fail to provide proof of vaccination.
Children aged 12 and below, who are exempted from vaccination, must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 years old and above while all children aged three and above will need a ticket for entry.
Fans will be able to sit without the need for social distancing and are advised to wear masks in the stadium.
Consumption of food and drinks in the stadium is allowed. Musical instruments, banners and flags are subjected to approval at point of entry and must not contravene security and/or regulatory measures.
Vice-captain Stephanie Gigette shared that the team will go into the games fearlessly, despite being ranked below them in the world standings.
She said: “Going against a reputable team like Hong Kong is important because it is the best way to learn and improve. We want to be better, and it is through these matchups that we can confront ourselves and identify our gaps. The whole team has adopted this mindset and we will do what we do best – give it our all, defend as a unit and show the home crowd that we are capable of putting on a good fight. This is important with the tough matches ahead of us in the AFF Women’s Championship, and we must start matching the intensity from these friendlies.”
Five days after the friendlies, Singapore will depart for Manila for their Group A matches, where they will face Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and sub-confederation Australia.
*A person is fully vaccinated after they have received the appropriate regimen of World Health Organisation Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) vaccines (e.g. Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty, Moderna, AstraZeneca-SKBio, Serum Institute of India, Janssen, Sinopharm, Sinovac-CoronaVac) including their respective duration post-vaccination and a booster shot for Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents for the vaccine to be fully effective.
**Applicable to students with a valid senior citizen concession card. Concession cards and a recent photo identification will be requested upon entry for verification purposes.
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