The Philippine women’s national football feam is heading for Nepal for the first phase of the Asian Football Confederation Under-16 women’s Championship 2019 qualifiers.
This meet will also be a qualifier for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, and the national team takes pride in having trained in the Philippine Football Federation artificial turf pitch in San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona Cavite,
Coached by Joyce Landagan, the Filipinas are bracketed in a four-team single-round-robin group with the hosts, Malaysia and Myanmar.
They will start off their campaign against Nepal on Sept. 19, then tackle Malaysia two days later.
On Sunday, they will meet Myanmar, with the group winner qualifying for the next stage of qualification in Thailand next February.
Striker Maria Lazo from La Salle-Zobel will be among the holdovers, along with midfielder Traci Lim from Immaculate Conception Academy, MJ Villacin from Bacolod, Bela Hoskings, a Fil-Brit from Thailand, Abigail Taylor, a home-grown Filipina-British booter from British School Manila, her schoolmate Izzy Ong, and Swiss-raised Filipina goalie Isabel Mapanao.
Other Palembang vets include Kylie Panagan from La Trinidad, Benguet, Bianca Sy from Dipolog, and Jean Templaza from Compostela Valley.
There new additions the team, including midfielder Jianna Simons from Hong Kong and Dallas-raised Keane Alamo, who just moved to Clark Field, Pampanga.
Two girls from Olongapo are goalie Odeza Yap, who will share Mapanao for the starting slot, and Lyka Cuenco, a center back, who will help fill the void from Bocalan’s absence.
Davaoeña Jelli Diamante is another new face, the youngest of the footballing Diamante siblings that include former U19 NT player Gelo, Gio, and Jed. All the boys played for DLSU in the UAAP.