More tryouts are set for the Philippine futsal team as it gets ready to face three top-ranked teams in the world in the coming 2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Futsal Asian Cup this May in China.
The Filipinas have been bunched with world no. 9 Iran, no. 11 Vietnam and no. 31 Hong Kong in Group B. Officials of the Philippine Football Federation learned about this following a draw of lots at the Juva Grand Hotel in Hohhot, China.
The tournament gets going from May 7 to 18, serving as part of the team’s preparations for this year’s FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup the country will host in November.
The Filipinas are celebrating their qualification under new coach Rafa Merino. The Philippines made it to the Asian Cup for the first time following its third-place finish during the qualification phase held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
They drew strength from the presence of World Cup veteran Katrina Guillou, who transitioned from the outdoor game of soccer.
The Philippine futsal side finished with two wins, one draw and one defeat in Group C of the qualifiers, with Guillou accounting for four goals.
More tryouts will be held starting next week, with the PFF inviting member regional football associations to send two of their most outstanding female futsal athletes.
With the Philippines set to host the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup later this year, the federation aims to build a unified, competitive team that is composed of top futsal talents that will represent the country in this prestigious event. The first tryouts out of the six scheduled ones will happen on February 15 and 16 in Cebu.