Women’s football: FAS Tri-Nations Series 2022 tournament in Singapore |11 April 2022

Seychelles women’s team players during their match against Singapore

Seychelles lose 0-9 to Papua New Guinea

Days after earning Fifa ranking, something they started chasing last year, the Seychelles women’s football team were beaten 9-0 by Papua New Guinea in their second game of the FAS Tri-Nations Series 2022 tournament.

Played last Friday at the Jalan Besar Stadium, the Seychelles team’s second match always looked to be a tall order against world number 49 Papua New Guinea who were playing their first international match since July 2019. The half-time score was 3-0.

Six different players got on the score sheet in that game, with forward Marie Kaipu and midfielder Ramona Quintina Padio both bagging braces.

According to The Straits Times of Singapore, Papua New Guinea head coach Nicola Demaine was pleased with their first run out against Seychelles and plans to use the Singapore game today to test things out.

"It was our first game together in a long time and my first game with the group so we're still working on different combinations of players and different things that we want to keep on the field," said Demaine, who took charge of the team in November last year.

"I was happy with some of the ways we created goals going forward, some of the combinations, creativity and the way we tried to be a bit more clever. What I want us to do better at is our ability to problem solve on the field when something comes up."

In their first match of the tournament, Seychelles women’s team earned their Fédération internationale de Football Association (Fifa) ranking after Natacha Bibi scored twice in a 2-6 loss to hosts Singapore.

World number 135 Singapore opened the scoring the 18th minute when Stephanie Gigette Domingueztapped in from close range after Seychelles goalkeeper Mendy Gabriel could only palm away Nur Farhanah Ruhaizat’s header.

Forward Dominguez got her second eight minutes later, collecting Danelle Tan’s well-timed pass before firing into the bottom corner.

Seychelles regrouped and halved the deficit, thanks to Natacha Bibi’s effort in the 30th minute.

Singapore’s two overseas-based players Putri Syaliza Sazali and Tan then combined in the 52nd minute to make it 3-1.

Seychelles responded again as Bibi scored in the 70th minute, but substitute Dorcas Chu scored following a corner kick to restore Singapore’s two-goal cushion before Siti Nurerwadah Erwan and Danelle sealed the win with a long-range effort and a penalty respectively in time added on.

Gerard Govinden