High intensity, grit: How women’s football is growing more popular in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Lionesses head coach Karim Bencherifa has a busy year ahead.

The Moroccan, who took over as head coach of the Singapore women’s national football team on a two-year contract late last year, has high hopes for his players.

The team will travel to Indonesia to play in the ASEAN Women’s Championships – officially known as the MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 – before heading to Bangkok for the 2025 Southeast Asia Games.

“For the past two years, we’ve been working with a group of young footballers. I can see a lot of passion, a lot of dedication despite the challenges,” Bencherifa told CNA.

He added he admires their commitment as most players have to juggle the game with full-time work or studies. 

In recent years, this commitment has led to a surge of popularity for the sport in Singapore.

Total attendance at Women’s Premier League (WPL) games rose from 4,098 in 2022 to 5,721 the following year, according to data from the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).

Most of the national team players, including captain Rosnani Asman, compete in the WPL – Rosnani herself also wears the skipper’s armband for WPL team Albirex Niigata.

She told CNA how she switches from one mindset to another.

“In the national team, everyone’s on the same frequency and same level so you can demand more from them. But for clubs, since we have different age groups on the team, it’s hard to adjust to it,” she added.

“The good thing is that I am approachable so I can understand where they’re coming from, especially the young ones.”

The 27-year-old has been candid on social media about the role her family has played in her career.

When asked who her number one influence is, Rosnani did not hesitate in bringing up her father, whom she said is especially supportive.