KUALA LUMPUR, 20 JULY 2026 – The Singapore Women’s National Team’s Asean Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Cup 2026 campaign came to an end on Sunday, as the Lionesses fell 2-0 to Indonesia in the semi-final — a result that continues Singapore’s difficult recent history against their regional rivals.
It was a physical, high-intensity contest from the first whistle, with Indonesia setting the early tone and Singapore forced onto the back foot.
But the Lionesses more than held their own. Forward Danelle Tan almost broke the deadlock with a curling effort from a Kyra Taylor long ball in the 38th minute, while at the other end, goalkeeper Izairida Shakira stood firm to keep the sides level. 19-year-old defender Irsalina Irwan felt the game could have gone either way.
“I think that in the first half we had an equal amount of chances. It’s just that we were unlucky that we couldn’t convert it. Indonesia was much more on the physical side,” she said.
Heading into the break, Head Coach Mihoko Ishida reminded her players of exactly who they were playing for.
“Coach Mihoko gave us a motivational speech, reminding us that we’re not just playing for ourselves, but we’re also playing for our family, our friends, and the Singaporeans back home,” Irsalina recalled.
“That gave us extra motivation to push ourselves, even though we’re tired, and give our 110% on the field.”
Yet for all that resolve, the breakthrough Singapore needed never came. Indonesia continued to push forward, and it was the Lionesses who found themselves fighting to keep the score level, with Irsalina clearing off the line at one point to deny the opener.
The pressure eventually told in the 68th minute, as Indonesia’s Gea Yumanda converted a loose ball to take the lead, before her teammate Remini Rumbewas doubled it with a header in the 80th to put the result beyond doubt.
It was a blow the Lionesses couldn’t recover from, but Irsalina said the effort never wavered.
“I’m definitely disappointed that we didn’t get the win that we hoped for, but I’m really proud that the team still showed up and kept going. They kept persevering until the final whistle, and I think that’s what matters – the effort was there.”
With the final now out of reach, Singapore now need to beat Cambodia in the third-place play-off this Wednesday to close out their campaign with a podium finish and a chance to qualify in the ASEAN Championships next year.
“Although we did not make it to the finals, we aim to use this loss, this defeat, as fuel for our match [against Cambodia], which we know is not an easy opponent, and keep going and aim for third place,” Irsalina said.
SINGAPORE: Izairida Shakira (GK), Umairah Hamdan (C), Irsalina Irwan, Danelle Tan, Yuvika Suresh (Ain Salleh 46’ (Farah Nurzahirah 53’)), Sarah Zu’risqha (Naureen Qadriyah 90’), Dhaniyah Qasimah (Raeka Ee 76’), Rosnani Azman, Kyra Taylor, Venetia Lim, Farhanah Ruhaizat (Lim Li Xiann 46’)
Unused subs: Lamasan Chantale (GK), Alysha Nasrina (GK), Mulann Ayliffe, Syazwani Ruzi, Yasmine Zaharin, Qarissa Putri
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