Given how bland our away trips in the ACL2 are going to be (Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and probably Bandung which will be a heavily secured affair), this SFT writer’s upcoming trip to Malacca will be a wildly unpredictable experience, given how uneven women’s football is developed even within regional associations, never mind the AFC.
Prelude
First, we at SFT would like to wish our LCSWT alumna Danelle Tan all the best with NTV Tokyo Verdy Beleza (nevermind my torn allegiances between Urawa Reds for their tifos and Sanfrecce Hiroshima because my kind SFT colleague Chin Heng blessed me with the fan edition of their Regina (Women’s Team) jersey from their infamous Germain away day).
Being the only foreigner in a team otherwise full of locals, mirroring the situation of their men’s team vice-captain Matheus Vidotto, Danelle’s work ethic and application would be key in fighting for a place within a team with fully capped Nadeshikos and even seasoned professionals who wouldn’t look out of place in European teams.
Which brings us to how women’s football and its development are viewed by wildly varying viewpoints within various nations. While our fledgling league contains teams that are mostly tied to clubs with well established men’s football sections, similar to Japan, Australia and continental Europe, others have to contend with limited funding and attention due to their amateur status and a disinterest towards women’s football in general by potential sponsors and well-resourced men’s clubs (out of all the K League clubs, only Suwon FC has a fully integrated women’s team within its club setup)
It is also worth noting that some clubs may choose to have women-only teams due to desire for independence, forging their own organic developmental paths instead of being beholden to their male counterparts in an uneven power balance, with Still Aerion being the standard bearers of this approach in our leagues. This is particularly so when there is apathy (if not outright resistance) to the idea of organized women’s football within certain FAs, amounting to piecemeal initiatives to conform to the barest minimum that the AFC recommends.
Snapdragon’s snappy Teamviewer (Glory Glory to the Hot Mess!)
With the withdrawal of the Abu Dhabi CC from the group stages, the best runner up out of the 5 groups will join the 6 already qualified teams from the strongest confederations to play in the group stages. That presents a rare opportunity for the Sailors to make a strong claim for the best runner up, as 2 wins is the minimum to provide a buffer in case of a weak start against Etihad. Al Nassr, Kitchee and Naegohyang (North Korea) might also be aiming for the group stage, so a lot might boil down to fine margins, goal differences and shock draws by unheralded teams.
Etihad Club
Somehow, our Lionesses have a knack of drawing Jordan for both club and country, and while we may moan at the way we get beaten soundly, credit has to be given for the visionary leadership of the Jordanian Prince Ali in pushing for reforms that allow an inclusive game both domestically and within FIFA, someone who was ahead of his time in strengthening the women’s game within the Arabian peninsula.
Playing away from Amman this time round after hosting the Sailors to a 5-0 defeat last season, the reigning Jordanian champions have hired English Managing Director Lizzie Fluke and Dutch trailblazer Mary Willemsen as their Manager and Technical Director. Having first started FC Twente’s women’s section and pioneering various initiatives to promote mixed team participation in the Netherlands, while mentoring future professionals via the Holland Football University, the Jordanians have laid down a marker by utilising their first mover advantage as one of the more progressive nations within the AFC for women’s football to borrow some European expertise in development.
One of their more eye-catching foreign signings is young Nepalese international midfielder Preeti Rai, who has been given a rare opportunity to develop her skills in a far more competitive setting than the local league dominated by teams from the uniformed services. Mozambique international striker Cidalia Cuta will also be expected to deliver the goods in tandem with Jordanian star players Mai Sweilem and Enas al-Jamaeen, who plundered a goal each in our Lionesses’ 5-0 defeat at the AFC Women’ s Cup Qualifiers.
Other than that, Etihad Club’s status as a springboard for Jordanian players past and present to aim for the bigger leagues has also borne out in their recent callups, from former striker Maysa Jbarah who is Jordan’s all time top scorer to her successor Leen Al-Btoush who will be expected to lead the line for Etihad. Meanwhile the keen competition for slots have also seen both goalkeepers Malak Shannak and Shireen al Shalabi being capped for club and country (in mirroring our situation with Beatrice Tan and Izairida Shakira), while experienced WNT campaigners Alanoud Ghazi and Zaina Hazem will be expected to feed a steady stream of chances for star finishers Mai Sweilem and Rouzbahan Fraij.
As a key building block for the Jordanian WNT, Etihad will look to qualify for the Group Stages after their creditable, if ultimately futile attempt to qualify for the Asian Cup (an agonizing loss to Iran allowing their Persian rivals to take the tournament slot)
Kelana United
Truth be told, looking at Kelana United’s team sheet reminds us of how good we get when it comes to a functioning league, however flawed its execution. For 6 of the Indonesian WNT players who featured in the recent MSIG Cup that we declined to participate in, joining the Malaysian league in its infancy is better than not having any league action at all back home. As is endemic amongst many of our regional associations in promoting women’s football, the voices of big promises by the powers-that-be ring hollow when the willing hearts and minds cannot keep up with the physical effort required to maintain consistent engagement and gameplay.
What these ladies lack in skill, they make up for with plenty of steel forged from battling deep-seated stereotypes within the community and even within the vast football fraternities within Indonesia and Malaysia. Expect a compact side who will be looking to have their internationally capped front three of Waitie Taming (Malaysia), Reva Oktaviani and Sheva Tamut (both Indonesia) firing on all cylinders, with no small amount of Indonesian influence by midfield duo Helsya Meisyaroh and Viny Stefanius and defensive stalwarts Vivi Oktavia and Shalika Aurelia.
With the last match of the qualifying group stages falling on Malaysia’s Merdeka Day, what better for the Malaysians to gift the nation in their own small way with a grandstand finish and qualify for the Group Stages.
Sdyushor SI Asiagoal
I’ll need help from SFT’s resident Russian speaker and Cyrillic reader Anatolii to decode this Kyrgyzstan team. Doubt he will do a suka-suka job there and then, but Central Asia remains a big black hole in terms of even understanding how their football works due to the lack of information and social media presence about their domestic football.
Truth be told, I have NYet (No in Russian) idea about how these ladies actually are apart from the fact that 5 of them were called up for the recent Asian Cup qualifiers in July. (defenders Ulara Kachibekova, Meerim Karamurzayeva and Nagima Turalieva and forwards Asem Turgumbayeva and Tatiana Kaznacheyeva). This is a rare exposure for our team to face an entirely different type of adversary to enhance our footballing education, since it is expected that they will set out to play in a throwback Soviet style that emphasises collective teamwork and a disciplined approach.
It may yet shape up to be a close fight, as seen in their national team who have been waiting for their first win since a 1-0 win against Tajikistan in July 2022. The true test for Asiagoal will be to score a goal in Asia especially against closely matched opponents in the qualifier group, like many of these teams who dominate their domestic leagues only to have their shortcomings brutally exposed in continental competition. Shutting out their league MVP Kaznacheyeva will be key to our hopes,
Now, how about us?
Writing this will be the easiest, and the hardest part of this lowdown since I won’t want to give too much away. But our players would have wisened to the myriad threats that Etihad would pose, and our new Japanese signings seem poised to take on the challenges while guiding our local core towards greater confidence.
Some heft in midfield is also to be expected with Miyu Inayama and Riari Kitaoka providing the flair as foil for Nurhidayu Naszri’s creativity, Ho Huixin’s steel and Dorcas Chu’s faith. Eri Kitagawa and Ami Takeuchi will offer additional options to complement the mazy dribbles from Sarah Zu’risqha and Raeka Ee’s lethal finishing in goal.
With the newly transferred eagle-eyed trio of Farah Nurzahirah, Siti Nurerwadah and Wan Nashirah strengthening key positions in defence and attack, the stage is set for our locals (and homecoming queen Putri Alyiah Seow) to make a difference in continental competition and earn themselves chances to eventually play overseas, aspiring to be like our five WE League alumnae in the process.
Interlude
I hope I won’t be the only fan or two in a largely empty Hang Jebat stadium, but next up will be my trip report, a travelogue to cover the surreal experience of following women’s football away like how the brave Wee Hern would. Meanwhile seeing how the team enjoyed themselves at Jonker Street…
Written by Joseph Chin
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