In future tournaments and friendlies, the Filipinas will no longer be playing as underdogs.
Philippine national women’s football coach Allen Stajcic said this a day after the Filipinas were honored in Malacanang by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“We love to be the underdogs. But we proved it wrong. And we’re heading down that path,” said Stajcic in a television interview after returning to Australia, four days after the Filipinas won their first-ever title conquest in the 2022 ASEAN Women’s Football Championship.
“This group of players is an evolving and emerging team. And I think we have shown that we can be a threat in Southeast Asia. And our goal now is to become a powerhouse of Asia as well,” added Stajcic.
Stajcic said the title win of the Filipinas is a special and memorable moment for the squad.
“You just can’t replace it. I can’t use words to describe the feelings of everyone on the field, the noise. It just gives you an extra dose of adrenaline,” Stajcic said.
Team skipper Tahnai Annis agreed with Stajcic, saying the squad will continue to show their best as they prepare for next year’s World Cup.
“Definitely, we’re putting targets in our games. We’re not coming in as underdogs and just hoping for the best. When we show up, we’re there to win,” said the 33-year-old Annis, one of the attacking midfielders of the team.
Annis believes that their hard work in getting ready for the 2023 World Cup for Women is now bearing fruit, after preparing for it since November last year.
And their time together as a team has helped each member of the squad develop their trust and confidence in each other.
“I think we’re really starting to believe in ourselves, to really trust in what we’re doing, trust the process on the hard work that we’ve put in,” added Annis, who is from Zanesville, Ohio.
And so far, the Filipinas seem to be emerging as a new threat in Southeast Asia following their great showing in the AFF competition.
The Filipinas have taken a one-month break, before resuming their preparations for the 2023 FIFA World Cup for Women.