Lionesses' Asian Cup qualifiers in Jordan postponed amid escalating tensions in Middle East

Singapore's Danelle Tan (in red) going for a high ball in a friendly against Hong Kong at Choa Chu Kang Stadium on June 15. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
SINGAPORE – The Lionesses' 2026 Asian Cup qualifiers have been postponed amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, announced the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on June 19, a day before the team were scheduled to fly off to Jordan.
The Group A matches, originally scheduled from June 23 to July 5 at the King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, Jordan's capital, is now expected to be played at another venue from July 7 to 19.
In its statement, the FAS said the Asian Football Confederation cited the 'ongoing situation in the region and logistical concerns raised by several participating member associations as reasons for change'.
The worsening security situation in the region shows no sign of de-escalation, as Israel and Iran continue to exchange heavy bombardments.
On the latest developments, Lionesses coach Karim Bencherifa said: 'We have prepared well, the players have worked very hard, but these are things beyond our control. The team has shown resilience throughout our preparation phase, and we will regroup and stay focused.'
He acknowledged that the postponement does affect their plans, with the availability of players, but said that the team will adapt to the circumstances.
The Moroccan added: 'The staff and players are fully committed to the cause and while we will need to adapt – we are ready for when the competition resumes.'
Other sports events that have been affected by the conflict between Iran and Israel include the Maccabiah Games, an international multi-sport event held in Israel featuring Jews and Israelis.
Originally scheduled to take place from July 8 to 22, the quadrennial event, which was expected to welcome over 8,000 athletes from 55 countries, has been moved to 2026.
World No. 139 Singapore had been drawn into Group A alongside the 75th-ranked Jordan, Iran (68th), Lebanon (130th) and Bhutan (171st), with only the group winners advancing to the final tournament in Australia.
In preparation for the tournament, the Republic had played two friendly matches against world No. 80 Hong Kong at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium on June 12 and 15.
The first match was played behind closed doors, while the second was abandoned early in the second half owing to inclement weather.
The Singapore team had been set to fly off for Jordan on June 20, three days ahead of their first match against Bhutan.
Farhanah Ruhaizat was initially disappointed by the change in tournament dates, but the forward has chosen to take a more optimistic outlook towards the situation.
She said: 'Honestly, at first I felt disappointed because we had prepared everything and made a lot of adjustments for this tournament.
'But at the same time, now that it's been postponed, we have extra days to train and prepare even better for the tournament.'
Lionesses captain Rosnani Azman shared a similar sentiment.
She said: 'Of course we were looking forward to competing, but safety comes first. As a team, we've always believed in adapting and staying ready.
'We'll keep training hard and supporting one another, and make sure we're ready when the time comes.'
The Lionesses last featured in the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2003, before a qualification round was introduced from the 2006 edition onwards.
The AFC has emphasised its intention to complete all qualification matches ahead of the final tournament draw on July 29.
Only the top team in each group will advance to the tournament proper in Australia, where eight spots are up for grabs.
The Asian Cup qualifying tournament is one of two major events lined up for the Lionesses this year, with the other being the Dec 9-20 SEA Games in Thailand.
They were also initially slated to take part in the Aug 6-19 Asean Women's Championship in Vietnam, having qualified by finishing third at the Asean Football Federation Women's Cup in December 2024.
But they withdrew their participation from the event as it clashes with the AFC Under-20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers, which will take place from Aug 2-10.
Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing.
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