THE Philippine national women’s under-17 team has been drawn into a tough Group C in the 2026 AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup.
The young Filipinas will face North Korea, South Korea and Chinese Taipei following the official draw held Thursday at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The continental tournament will be staged in Suzhou, China this May, marking the Filipinas’ second straight appearance in the age-group competition.
The Philippines secured its berth last October after sweeping its three matches in the qualifiers, including a dominant 4-0 victory over Malaysia in Group A to seal qualification in style.
Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez expressed confidence in the squad.
“We firmly believe our young Filipinas are primed to face the best of Asia. The tough battles against North and South Korea in 2024 have given us a better understanding of how to face such strong opponents,” Gutierrez said in a statement.
The team is now handled by newly appointed head coach Nahuel Arrarte, who replaced Marlon Maro.
The 46-year-old Argentine previously served as assistant coach and recently oversaw a five-day U.S. Talent Identification Camp from January 30 to February 3 at the Great Park Sports Complex in Irvine, California.
Arrarte, a former assistant coach of Australia’s Western Sydney Wanderers, gathered around 150 North America-based Filipino-American players during the camp as part of the program’s grassroots development push.
Some members of the U17 squad, including goalkeeper Leah Bradley and former captain Aiselyn Sia, are also part of the senior national team training pool currently holding camp in Balesin. The senior Filipinas are preparing for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia in March.
This year’s U17 tournament features an expanded 12-team field, up from eight in previous editions. Peter Atencio
Host China headlines Group A alongside Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar. Four-time champion Japan was drawn in Group B with Australia, India and debutant Lebanon.
The top teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed sides, will advance to the quarterfinals. The top four finishers will qualify to represent Asia in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026. Peter Atencio
