Singapore women’s national team coach Mihoko Ishida names 31-player preliminary squad for June friendlies
Singapore women’s national team coach Mihoko Ishida has named a 31-player preliminary squad ahead of a June international window that will see the Lionesses travel to Bandung, Indonesia, for friendlies against the hosts and Cambodia. (whatstheplanplease.com)
Ishida’s first official senior matches since her April appointment come as the Football Association of Singapore seeks to accelerate preparations ahead of the 2026 AFF Women’s Championship and to evaluate a mix of domestic and overseas-based talent in competitive fixtures. (en.wikipedia.org)
Ishida unveils 31-player preliminary squad
Singapore’s 31-player list combines established internationals, domestic starters from the Women’s Premier League and a growing contingent of overseas-based prospects, signalling a selection policy focused on both experience and potential. The preliminary roster was released ahead of centralised training and a planned departure for Bandung at the end of May, with the final tournament group to be trimmed to 23 players for the trip. (whatstheplanplease.com)
The list includes long-serving figures and younger players who have earned their way into contention through domestic form and overseas development programmes, reflecting Ishida’s stated aim to broaden the pool and test more combinations ahead of regional competition. The squad composition underlines the FAS strategy of coupling local league performers with scholarship and academy graduates based overseas. (whatstheplanplease.com)
Fixtures and scheduling in Bandung
According to the release mirrored in regional coverage, Singapore will open the trip against Indonesia at Stadion Arcamanik in Bandung on Wednesday, 3 June, before a second friendly against Cambodia later in the FIFA window; the FAS-aligned reporting cited Saturday, 6 June as the Cambodia date. Both matches are scheduled for evening local kick-offs to suit regional broadcast and travel logistics. (whatstheplanplease.com)
Indonesian media reporting and tournament postings have offered slightly different dates for the Cambodia fixture, with some outlets listing the second match on 9 June, a discrepancy that regional organisers and federations sometimes resolve in the run-up to matchday when logistical details are finalised. Singapore’s coaching staff and the FAS will confirm the final match schedule and any adjustments once arrangements are formally agreed with the hosts. (bolaskor.merahputih.com)
Squad makeup and notable call-ups
The preliminary selection features a mix of goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards drawn from top WPL clubs and overseas academies, with several Unleash the Roar! (UTR) scholarship recipients included as part of the overseas-development pathway. High-profile inclusions include forward Danelle Tan, who returns after strong form with Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza in Japan, and 19-year-old Chloe Koh, who has recently completed a stint at IMG Academy and will head to the United States for collegiate soccer. (whatstheplanplease.com)
The squad also brings back veteran campaigners and emerging talent across the spine of the team, while a handful of established names remain unavailable due to injury or personal commitments; notable absentees include Putri Syaliza, who continues to recover from an ACL injury, and Lim Li Xian, who is unavailable because of work obligations. Those absences give space for fringe players to stake a case for longer-term inclusion. (whatstheplanplease.com)
Preparation plan and centralised training
The Lionesses convened for centralised training in late May as part of a short but intensive preparation window, with staff emphasising tactical cohesion, defensive organisation and set-piece routines ahead of the international fixtures. Coaching staff have indicated that the centralised period is designed to accelerate the team’s identity building, particularly with several overseas-based players integrating into the national setup for the first time. (whatstheplanplease.com)
Officials confirmed the squad will depart for Bandung after the training block, and the 31-player pool will be reduced to a 23-player travelling party in line with standard international practice for friendly windows. The FAS and the coaching team framed the trip as both a testing ground for player selection and an opportunity to evaluate matchday strategies against comparable Southeast Asian opposition. (whatstheplanplease.com)
Ranking context and recent results between opponents
Singapore enter the June fixtures ranked outside the top 150 in the FIFA standings, while Indonesia and Cambodia occupy higher positions in the regional pecking order, creating a competitive environment for the Lionesses to measure progress. The encounters in Bandung will therefore serve as an important barometer for Ishida’s squad against regional rivals with established player pools and recent competitive experience. (whatstheplanplease.com)
Recent head-to-head history offers clear reminders of the challenge: Singapore lost to Indonesia 3-1 at the 33rd SEA Games and endured a narrow 1-0 defeat to Cambodia at the 2023 regional tournament, results that the coaching staff have cited as motivation to close gaps in physicality and tactical execution. The friendlies are being positioned as stepping stones to improved regional competitiveness. (whatstheplanplease.com)
What the Lionesses can achieve from the window
For Mihoko Ishida the immediate objective is to use the FIFA window to identify a reliable core of players and clarify tactical principles that can be carried into the AFF Women’s Championship later in 2026. The matches in Bandung are also an opportunity to accelerate the development of overseas-based players accustomed to different coaching environments, and to test squad depth in a match setting. (whatstheplanplease.com)
From a performance perspective, the tour offers the chance to improve defensive resilience, sharpen transitions and generate clearer attacking patterns with returning forwards and new recruits, while the coaching staff will pay close attention to players’ physical readiness and adaptability under travel conditions. The broader target for the FAS remains steady progression in the regional rankings and a more competitive showing at the next AFF tournament. (whatstheplanplease.com)
Singapore will travel to Bandung with a blended squad of experience and youth, and the upcoming friendlies will provide the first substantive look at how Mihoko Ishida’s ideas translate onto the pitch under international match pressure. The results, and the individual performances that shape subsequent selection decisions, will set the tone for the Lionesses’ preparations through the middle of 2026.
