SINGAPORE – The Singapore women’s football team went on a rampage and notched their biggest victory when they hammered Macau 9-0 on July 16, in what will be a confidence booster ahead of the Asean Women’s Championship later in 2024.
Borussia Dortmund’s Danelle Tan grabbed a hat-trick, while left-back Putri Syaliza, who plays for Oakland University in the United States, scored twice as the world No. 138 side showed their bite against their 174th-ranked opponents in an international friendly at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
The Lionesses’ previous record victory was a 6-0 win over the Maldives in 2007 in a qualifier for the Beijing Olympics.
Danelle Tan scoring in the Lionesses’ 9-0 win against Macau. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Singapore coach Karim Bencherifa was happy with his players’ efforts in the resounding victory.
At the post-match press conference, he said: “The team made history and I’m proud of them. I’m happy for the fans to witness their team play a very good performance.
“There are a lot of positives to build on from this. I don’t want to take anything away from the players. They gave their 100 per cent and showed their quality… so let’s be happy about that.”
The Moroccan hopes his players can now build on their morale-boosting win for upcoming assignments, such as the Asean tournament, the dates for which have not been announced as yet, and the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand.
“I look beyond winning,” he explained.
“There are a lot of things we worked on in training for a long time that are happening… It’s good to repeat them against a side like Macau because that’s how we’re going to get the confidence and that will come out when we play the Asean Women’s Championship.”
Despite the loss, Macau coach Meng Jun was proud of her team of amateurs.
She said in Mandarin: “The support from the Singaporean fans for both sides was amazing. I hope that in the future, Macau can also have a professional women’s league, and Singapore’s football will also continue growing.”
The Lionesses opened the scoring in the 37th minute when midfielder Dorcas Chu sneaked in at the far post to convert a corner. Three minutes into first-half stoppage time, Putri’s deflected shot found its way in to double the hosts’ advantage.
The floodgates opened in the second half, with Venetia Lim netting from a free kick in the 50th minute before Tan scored her first of the night four minutes later. Captain Siti Rosnani Azman then fired in from 40 metres in the 57th minute.
Tan wrapped up her hat-trick with goals in the 61st and 65th minutes with two simple finishes inside the box.
There was still time for Putri to score her second in the 85th minute, before debutante Kyra Taylor’s shot from distance looped into the back of the net a minute from time.
Tan, who was making her first appearance for the Lionesses since December 2023 after a successful debut season in Dortmund for whom she scored 14 league goals, said: “It’s always nice to play at home and don the badge as well.
“There were a few chances I felt I should’ve put away but it was 9-0, a performance the team can be happy with and my first international hat-trick.”
Danelle Tan celebrates after scoring her hat-trick. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
The goals brought her tally for the national team to seven, and Bencherifa was quick to highlight her importance.
He said: “I’m very happy with her performance. We know that one of the most important positions to win games is the striker, and she showed her class today.”
He also praised his youth players for adapting to the slow start and showcasing their qualities. The average age of the starting line-up, featuring three Unleash the Roar! scholarship recipients – Chloe Koh, Natasha Naszri and Kyra – is under 20.
“I can assure you this is just the start. It’s a work in progress and, hopefully, women’s football will come up in the future,” he said.
