Photo courtesy of Philippine Women’s National Football Team/Facebook
The Philippine national women’s football team, known as the Filipinas, is set to campaign in the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, carrying momentum from its breakthrough run three years ago.
In the 2022 tournament in India, the Filipinas advanced to the semifinals and, in the process, booked a historic place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The feat marked the Philippines’ first appearance on the global women’s football stage.
That performance reshaped expectations for the program. The Asian Cup again doubles as a World Cup qualifier, with spots on the line for the 2027 edition, keeping the stakes high for the Philippine side.
Tournament organizers placed the Filipinas in Group A, where they were drawn against host Australia, perennial contender South Korea, and Iran. South Korea previously ended the Philippines’ campaign in the 2022 semifinals.
Under the competition format, only the top two teams from each group were set to move on to the knockout phase, joined by the two best third-place finishers across the tournament.
The Philippines was scheduled to open its campaign against Australia, followed by matches versus South Korea and Iran, a compact group-stage slate that tested depth and recovery.
The squad leaned on a mix of World Cup-tested veterans and emerging players across all positions, with goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards drawn largely from overseas-based leagues and domestic standouts.
Team officials said the immediate goal was to navigate a difficult group, while the broader objective remained consistent with recent years: to establish the Filipinas as regular contenders in Asia and to secure another World Cup berth.
