By AIMI G.
Four games. Four defeats. Thirteen goals conceded. Just two scored.
The Lionesses returned from their Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers in Jordan without a point, and even lost to the mountain ladies from Bhutan.
Despite the failings and returning from the tournament rooted at the bottom with zero points, national women’s coach Karim Bencherifa offered no signs of stepping away from his role.
“The team showed tremendous effort and resilience throughout the qualifiers,” he told The Straits Times.
“While the scorelines didn’t reflect the full picture, we had competitive moments – especially in the opening match against Bhutan and the final game against Lebanon.”
But here is the real picture, in case Bencherifa misses it.
World No. 139 Singapore fell 5-0 to hosts Jordan, 4-0 to Iran, 1-0 to Lebanon, and 3-2 to Bhutan, a team ranked 171st.
Against Bhutan, four of the five substitutions were due to injury.
The Lionesses finished that match with just 10 players for nearly 20 minutes.
“The disruptions and injuries had a real impact,” Karim offered as an excuse.
“That naturally affected our rhythm and limited how we could rotate or manage players in the following matches.
“Still, the team kept their heads up and stayed committed.”
He also added that fitness was a major concern.
Six of the 13 goals conceded came after the 65th minute, a stat Karim did not ignore.
“To move forward, we must find ways to better support players in committing to regular physical preparation, recovery and strength work – not just for performance, but for injury prevention,” he explained.
But after more than two years at the helm, should the responsibility for that lack of physical preparedness fall on the players or on the person in charge?
The Lionesses now turn their focus to the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in December.
But maybe it’s also time to ask if Bencherifa is the right person to lead the team to the biennial.
MAIN PHOTO: FAS