KUALA LUMPUR, 23 JULY 2026 – The Singapore Lionesses ended their AFF Women’s Cup 2026 campaign on a high, defeating Cambodia 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Tuesday’s third-place playoff in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (22 July) to clinch third place and secure a place at next year’s ASEAN Women’s Championship.
The result marked a fitting conclusion to a campaign that showcased the Lionesses’ resilience and progress against opponents they knew all too well. Their previous meeting with Cambodia had ended in a 5-0 defeat.
It was fitting, too, that the Lionesses’ goalkeeper, Izairida Shakira, was named Player of the Match after a string of incredible saves — none bigger than the one that mattered most. Her crucial stop of Cambodia’s Sovanmony Heng’s penalty in the shootout sealed the deal.
“It was a lot of pressure, but the moment I stepped on the line and waited for the player to take the penalty, I just believed in myself and trusted my instincts,” the 19-year-old shared. “A lot of emotions were rushing through me — excitement, relief, and everything else. The moment I made the save and knew we qualified, we were all just so happy.”
Tested until the end
Singapore had to work for their breakthrough, but it was worth the wait.
In the 24th minute, a delightfully weighted ball over the top sent forward Danelle Tan clean through, ghosting past three Cambodian defenders before slotting home with ice-cold composure. It was her fourth goal of the tournament — crowning her the tournament’s top scorer — and her 14th international goal overall.
Cambodia proved a force to be reckoned with, testing Shakira’s mettle time and time again — from an early corner she had to scramble to recover, to crosses and runs down both flanks that kept the Lionesses’ backline on its toes well into the second half.
But Singapore’s slim lead was eventually cancelled out in the 70th minute, when Singapore was adjudged to have fouled a Cambodian player inside the box. Cambodia’s captain Vipha Soeurn made no mistake from the spot, levelling the score at 1-1 and piling extra pressure onto a Singapore side already managing fatigue in their backline.
With the scores level after 90 minutes, the third-place finish — and the ASEAN Women’s Championship spot that came with it — went down to a tense penalty shootout.
Mulan Ayliffe stepped up first, calmly slotting home before Lim Li Xian’s effort was kept out. Syazwani Ruzi and Farah Nurzahirah both held their nerve to convert and keep Singapore in the contest, before Sarah Zu’risqha stepped up to take the fifth and final kick — and with a composed strike into the corner, sealed qualification for the Lionesses.
“Despite the pressure that came with being the the last penalty taker, my teammates were right there behind me motivating me,” Sarah shared, recounting the nerves of walking up with the weight of the entire campaign on her shoulders. “That really helped me keep my composure when I eventually took the penalty.”
Learning from the last meeting
Head coach Mihoko Ishida credited the team’s preparation for addressing the issues that had cost Singapore in their previous meeting with Cambodia. “What we analysed from the last Cambodia game was that we conceded too many goals from set pieces, so we focused on that,” Ishida said.
“We also understood we couldn’t defend well against crosses, so we spent time on that too, and it worked,” the 43-year-old added.
“It was a tough game, but the players worked hard,” she noted.
“Beforehand, we shared what we were supposed to do in defence and attack, and the players kept working on that, showing the hard work that led to the result. Obviously, there were times when we really suffered because Cambodia played well. But with Shakira’s fantastic saves and all the players putting in the effort, we managed to get the win,” she added.
Ishida was also effusive in her praise of the team, citing their resilience through a tough journey to qualification. She acknowledged the gap in individual quality against Indonesia in the semi-final, but pointed to the Laos draw as the wake-up call that sharpened the team’s hunger throughout the tournament.
“Anything can happen at any time in football, but at the end of the day, the team that plays better will win,” Ishida said.
“Obviously, Indonesia’s side was stronger individually, and we could see that. However, because we drew our first game against Laos, our hunger to win was raised. That’s why we managed to beat Malaysia, and we carried that momentum forward until the last match.”
What’s next
With third place secured and qualification confirmed, the Lionesses will now turn their attention to next year’s ASEAN Women’s Championship.
Both Shakira and Sarah believe continuing to strengthen the team’s chemistry will be key as they look to build on the momentum from this campaign.
“As we head to the next tournament, I think the most important thing is to improve our chemistry and bond as a team — it is what got us here,” Sarah said.
Shakira echoed the sentiment, while also highlighting the importance of managing the squad’s physical demands across a tournament.
“I think we definitely need to keep the number of injuries low and make sure our energy lasts through the game. But other than that, I’m just more than happy that we secured qualification with this team and staff,” Shakira said.
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