NOW that they have qualified, Filipinas’ head coach Mark Torcaso seeks to prepare the Philippine national women’s team as early as possible for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026.
Torcaso said this after the Filipinas beat Hong Kong, 1-0, on Saturday in Group G of the qualifiers in Phnom Penh.
“We’re now looking forward to the ASEAN tournament (in August) with probably a slightly different squad because some players weren’t available for the qualifiers due to club commitments,” said Torcaso.
The Filipinas competed with three key players absent, namely Katrina Guilliou, Reina Bonta and Sarina Bolden, who is undergoing rehabilitation from an injury.
So far, the Filipinas met their objective of winning their three assigned games, and top Group G
“We came with the objective to qualify and not to lose and not to concede, and we did that,” said Torcaso.
In returning to the Women’s Asian Cup, the Filipinas hope to make it to the finals this time around.
The Filipinas achieved a semifinal appearance at the 2022 edition, leading to a historic berth at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.
Next for the Filipinas is their stint in Group B of the ASEAN Women’s MSIG Serenity Cup 2025.
The Filipinas are bunched with Myanmar, Australia and Timor-Leste.
