Joining the Olympic qualifiers in Tajikistan will be the next mission of the Philippine national women’s football team next month.
Team manager Jefferson Cheng said this after attending the festivities of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City.
“They will get together for this tournament. The girls who are here in Manila and those abroad will be there for the qualification. No more camps,” said Cheng.
The Filipinas are coming off a campaign in the Pinatar Cup in Spain, which was part of their preparations for the coming World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.
The FIFA no. 53-ranked Philippines, coached by Allen Stajcic, will face Hong Kong, host Tajikistan and Pakistan on April 3, 6 and 9, respectively.
All of them are bracketed in Group E, with the top finisher advancing to the second round.
The 12 teams (five teams entered in this round and seven teams from the first round) will be drawn into three groups of four teams and compete in a one-round league format in a centralized venue.
In the Pinatar Cup, the Philippines experienced playing against higher-ranked teams Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
This time, they take on lower-ranked squads, with Hong Kong placed at no. 77, Tajikistan at no. 144, and Pakistan at no. 160.