Filipinas seek last four bid in AFC Women's Asian Cup against Japan

c/o AFC

The Philippines is seeking to challenge the moment as they face Japan in the quarterfinals of the 2026 edition of the AFC Women's Asian Cup in Sydney.

Kickoff is scheduled at Sunday, 1pm Manila time, at Stadium Australia, with the winner securing an automatic berth for next year's FIFA Women's World Cup.

The Filipinas were able to reach this stage after earning a 2-0 victory over Iran, as well as Japan's 4-0 win over Vietnam to conclude their respective pool play matches. As a result, the Philippines snagged the remaining spot for the two best third place teams via goal difference, and in the process, completes the postseason field.

In the pre-match press conference, gaffer Marc Torcaso expressed their team's excitement for their upcoming fixture, "It’s a privilege playing against some of the best teams here in Asia and around the world, in this tournament. Like Australia and South Korea, we look forward to this game."

He adds, "We look forward to this game, playing against the best players in the world, and probably one of the best teams in the world. The girls are excited."

Malea Cesar echoes same sentiment and sees this match as a proving ground for the Filipinas to show that they belong at this stage. She also shares, that their presence at this stage and platform serves as a motivation of all the girls back home to look up to, highlighting that "we're representing something so much bigger than just ourselves. We're representing the country... It's not just our dreams anymore, it's the dream of so many young girls out there."

Cesar adds that "communication and cohesion" will be key as they stick to the game plan against Japan.

With the Nadeshiko flashing their deadly form, scoring seventeen goals in topping Group C, Torcaso highlighted the need for the Filipinas to reflect the same kind of discipline that was the hallmark of their Group A matches against Australia and Korea Republic.

He notes, "The ultimate goal is to make the (Women's) World Cup and we're determined to get there, and we'll do what it takes to get there."

Australia has already sealed the first spot into the semifinals with their 2-1 victory over DPR Korea, with two more spots to be decided later today, as China tangles against Chinese-Taipei and Korea Republic against Uzbekistan.

All four losers of the quarterfinals will still have a shot at an automatic World Cup berth with two play-off matches slated within the coming week. Even with a play-off defeat, two teams will be given a chance to earn a bid through the inter-confederation play-offs.

Torcaso highlights the magnitude of the effort they put in for this tournament, acknowledging the team's responsibility "to make sure that every young girl in the Philippines or around the world wants to play for our national team for the long-term."

Although the match will take place in Australia, a watch party has been scheduled by the Philippine Football Federation in conjunction with SM. After their successful event at the MOA Sky for the Iran fixture during the AFC Women's Football Day last March 8, this time, it will be held at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

Two shutouts highlight Filipinas U17 campaign in Tajikistan

c/o Philippine Football Federation

The Philippine Under-17 Women’s National Football Team is undefeated entering the final match day of the 2026 AFC Under-17 Women’s Asian Cup (WACQ) Group A in Dushanbe on Friday, defeating Tajikistan and Syria this week for six points, with no goals conceded.

The Young Filipinas blanked the hosts, 2-0, on Wednesday, with Louraine Evangelista scoring her second goal of the qualifiers while Davaoeña pride Jilliana Dagpin finished the game with her first national team goal.

In the 11th minute, the Tuloy protege Evangelista took a shot from outside of the penalty box on her running attack for the early advantage.

After numerous attacking tries by the Philippines against the compact and physical defense of Tajikistan, Dagpin, a young talent honed by the Davao South Regional Football Association and the Makati Football Club, had a splendid sprint toward the goal off Kaida Mizzo’s through pass on the counter to close the game scoring in the 90+5 minute.

Philippines trounces Syria, 5-0

On Monday, the Young Filipinas opened its bid for a second straight AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup appearance with a commanding 5-0 victory over Syria.

Led by brace scorer Ari Enderes, the Young Filipinas displayed sharp finishing and ball distribution on buildup plays for the clinical win.

Enderes opened the scoring in the fourth minute, finishing off a counterattack initiated by Evangelista and delivered through a precise cross from Chiara Mizzo. She completed her brace just before halftime, slotting in a goal off Yurika Valdevieso’s setup in the 44th minute.

“We felt if we scored early on in the game, then we could impose our style of play and how we wanted to play,” commented head coach Pradhyum Reddy on Enderes’ early offense.

“Two goals feels great but we did it as a team and I’m glad we did it together and it feels really good to win,” said Enderes, who was named Player of the Match.

The Young Filipinas shot consecutive long bombs to start the second half, with Kaida Mizzo and former futsal national team standout Evangelista goaling from outside the penalty box in the 50th and 52nd minutes.

Beach Hut FC’s Sofhia Muros closed the game for the Philippines, tapping in a goal in front in the 73rd minute off Chiara Mizzo’s second cross from the right wing.

“I think the good thing is once we got the third goal, we could make some rotations, some substitutions, get some fresh legs. I think it’s important when you’ve got another game in 48 hours’ time that we get to rotate the players,” Reddy concluded.

With the wins, the Philippines will enter the final game on Friday against fellow undefeated team Malaysia, with the lone Asian Cup ticket on the line.

The ASEAN squads have six points each but the Young Filipinas have a +4 goal difference edge over Malaysia.

Philippines maintains tenuous lead in AFC Asian Cup Qualifying

c/o Philippine Football Federation

The Philippine men’s national football team (PMNFT) successfully completed a tense sweep of ASEAN neighbor Timor-Leste, winning its home leg, 3-1, on match day 4 of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers (ACQ) at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac on Tuesday.

The team bounced back big in the second half, scoring three goals after trailing by one in the first half.

“It was a completely different game after we scored and I think that we deserved the three points at the end,” said Philippine head coach Carles Cuadrat.

“At the moment it was hard in the first half but I am really proud of the group. We have a big mentality here and I am really proud that we could bounce back from this first half,” added PMNFT’s top forward Bjorn Kristensen, who won his second straight Player of the Match.

After misses from Jefferson Tabinas and Andre Leipold that grazed the goal in the first half, Timor-Leste found its offensive groove and scored its third goal in the past three games, with England-based winger Joao Rangel lobbing the goal from the top left area of the penalty box in the first half injury time.

But the Philippines immediately regrouped and recovered after the halftime break as Tabinas scored off the set piece in the 46th minute, with Sandro Reyes delivering the assist from a right corner kick.

As Timor-Leste dodged several Philippine shots in the ensuing plays, the visitors had a chance at regaining the lead but Marques de Carvalho skied his clear shot in front of goal in the 69th minute.

PMNFT instantly punished that miss, with Kristensen, who hauled four goals in the October 9 game, scoring the go-ahead in the 70th minute off a clinical right-wing link-up with the returning Gerritt Holtmann and assist-passer Jesper Nyholm.

Substitute forward Jarvey Gayoso then scored the finisher in the 90+1 minute off a Randy Schneider set piece for his fourth international goal for the senior squad.

Timor-Leste head coach Ze Pedro commended the Philippines, saying, “I stated right away, I’ve already analyzed the Maldives, I’ve already analyzed Tajikistan, I’ve already analyzed the Philippines, the teams that are part of our group, and I identified before the two games that the Philippines were the strongest team in the group and I continue to say that they are.”

Indeed, PMNFT remains on top of the ACQ Group A with ten points and with a +2 goal difference advantage over Tajikistan.

After absorbing two losses in the October window, both Timor-Leste and Maldives are eliminated from Asian Cup contention.

PMNFT will next face Maldives in Male on November 18 for the penultimate game, before vying for the Asian Cup finals versus Tajikistan in March 2026.

Philippines set for WCQACQ duel vs Vietnam

c/o the PMNFT

The Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT) returns to action in the FIFA 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Thursday night, June 6, when they face Vietnam at the My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi.

“We are well prepared. We made changes, with some new players,” said Head Coach Tom Saintfiet. “The Philippines and Vietnam have played 21 times, and Vietnam have won 18. We’ve won only twice, with the last one in 2012. Sure, Vietnam is the favorite, but we come here trying to get the three points. That’s the intention, even if we know it’ll be difficult.”

The PMNFT will feature 10 changes to the squad that was last assembled in March, with six players set to potentially make their debut for the Philippines. The team enter Thursday’s contest on the back of a training camp which began in Dubai on May 26. Having had extra time to prepare, 24-year-old Christian Rontini has confidence the team can step up to the challenge of facing a South East Asian giant in front of 40,000 of their fans.

“We’re playing in a World Cup Qualifier and we have no doubts, we are full of motivation. With Coach Tom in the last 10 days, our team has prepared well. With the new faces and the younger generation also now part of the senior team, we don’t have any excuses tomorrow — it’s a final. We are playing for the qualification and I’m very happy and excited to give everything for my nation, and hopefully we get the best from this game,” said Rontini.

Although the Philippines currently sit in last place in Group F with only a solitary point, a glimmer of hope remains that the team can still qualify into the next round of the World Cup Asian Qualifiers. There is, however, no margin for error, with maximum points required in the last two games. Vietnam will take confidence from their 2-0 victory at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in November last year, but the two sides will be different this time around, with the head coach of both teams only recently being appointed.

“Vietnam is a strong team in Asia, and one of the best in South East Asia. I love the style of Vietnamese football - speed, skills, combinations,” he said, “We know that maybe he’s (Kim Sang-sik) a little bit different - more defensive and organized coach - but we don’t know. Will he implement his style or implement the style of the past? For us, we know how Vietnam of the past played, and we know the qualities of the new coach, but it’s difficult to say what will happen.”

Kickoff of the match will be at 8pm PH Time. The game will be aired on One Sports, One Sports+, Pilipinas Live, and will be streamed live on the Facebook page of the Philippine Men’s National Football Team.

“For tomorrow, expect a very intense and exciting game,” said Rontini. “We know they have very good qualities in terms of speed and technique. But we also have our speed and our heart to play for our nation. Tomorrow will be a 50-50 game. I know people think that Vietnam is strong and everything, but we will put in our work. We will give everything from the first minute until the final whistle. We don’t play for a draw or for a loss, we play only to win. That’s it.”

Philippines calls up 26 for World Cup Qualifying

On Wednesday, the Philippine Football Federation called up twenty-six players for the Philippines' opening two matches of second round dual qualifying in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

The Azkals are slated to host Vietnam on November 16 with Indonesia coming to the country on the 21st. Both matches are set to take place at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Leading the side is captain Neil Etheridge of Birmingham City, alongside notable veterans Kenshiro Daniels, Manny and Mike Ott, OJ Porteria, Patrick Reichelt, and Daisuke Sato.

In making the decision, head coach Michael Weiss based his selection on both player availability as well as performances from the friendlies that took place in the past months.

He shares, "It’s a good mixture of experienced mainstays for a long time and young well-developing talents brought on by the recent performances of Philippine clubs in AFC competitions. It gives us reason to be optimistic for our first World Cup qualifier matches against Vietnam and Indonesia."

The Azkals faced off against Nepal, Chinese-Taipei, Afghanistan, and Bahrain during that stretch.

With a few notable players left off due to a variety of reasons, Weiss puts a bigger emphasis on the ones "who are with us for the qualifiers."

In line with the Philippines hosting two ASEAN rivals, the PFF has launched a campaign aimed to encourage support the national team.

Called #StandYourGround and #10KStrong, the PFF hopes to encourage fans to show their backing for the team in time for these two matches. With this in place, Weiss believes that such a home support would help propel the Azkals to secure a result.

The German says, "A very important factor is the enthusiasm and support of the 12th man. We hope the fans come in numbers to the stadium, and be part of history."

Players:

1. ETHERIDGE, Neil Leonard

2. HANSEN, Kevin Ray

3. DEYTO, Patrick Phillip

4. ROTA, Simone

5. MARTINEZ DE MURGA, Carlos Alberto

6. TABINAS, Jefferson David

7. RONTINI, Christian

8. CURRAN, Jesse Thomas

9. SATO, Daisuke

10. RUBLICO, Santiago

11. VILLANUEVA, Dennis

12. LYNGBO, Simen Alexander

13. BUGAS, Pocholo

14. PORTERIA, Jose Elmer

15. OTT, Manuel

16. OTT, Mike Rigoberto

17. KEKKONEN, Oskari

18. INGRESO, Kevin

19. BAAS, Mikel Justin

20. REICHELT, Patrick

21. MARAÑON, Bienvenido

22. MENZI, Audie

23. ANGELES, Marwin Janver

24. MELLIZA, Jesus Joaquin

25. DANIELS, Kenshiro Michael

26. SCHRÖCK, Stephan Markus

PFF praises Malditas performance

The Philippine Senior Women's National Team

The Philippine Football Federation praised the achievements of its Senior Women's National Team, after the squad booked its spot in the AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022 on Friday.

Federation president Mariano Araneta shares, "We are truly delighted by this remarkable achievement by our Philippine Women’s National Team. Qualification to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup is a testament to the hard work and sacrifice made by the players and the coaching staff and the support of sponsors and stakeholders. It wasn't an easy journey owing to the fact that the team competed and represented the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot rest on this achievement. We will leave no stone unturned in preparing the team in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, where the Top 5 teams will qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023."

 

The Philippines earned a return trip to the top continental competition for women's football by topping Group F in qualifying, securing 2-1 victories over Nepal and Hong Kong in the past week.

As one of twelve finalists, they have a shot of securing five automatic berths allocated for the Asian Football Confederation to the FIFA World Cup. This allocation already excludes Australia, which locked in a berth as the World Cup co-hosts with New Zealand. An additional two more spots are allocated to an Intercontinental Tournament, for which the last three berths are at stake.

Philippines secures Asian Cup berth in women's football

Tahnai Annis

Signed. Sealed. Delivered.

The Philippines secured its spot in the AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022 berth with a 2-1 victory over Hong Kong on Friday at the JAR Stadium in Tashkent.

With Hong Kong coming off a goalless draw against Nepal on Wednesday, the East Asian side needed a victory in order to come out on top of Group F and secure a spot in next year's tournament proper.

Unfortunately, The Filipinas had other plans.

Tahnai Annis put the Philippines ahead after 17 minutes, receiving a cross from Rochelle Mendano and heading it past Ng Cheuk Wai.

Hong Kong would find an equalizer in the 61st minute off an excellently taken free kick by Chung Pui Ki, but Chandler McDaniel restores the Filipina advantage in the 87th minute.

With two wins out of two matches, the Philippines officially locked in a return trip to the top tier continental competition for women's football, which also serves as a qualifying tournament to the 2023 edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

The Malditas fell one victory short of qualifying for the last World Cup, but goal is potentially within reach thanks to the expanded field in both the Asian Cup and the World Cup.

Philippines escapes Nepal to open Asian Cup Qualifying

Sara Castaneda

The Philippines needed some late drama to kick off Group F action at the AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022 Qualifying, eking out a 2-1 victory over Nepal at the JAR stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Saturday.

Tahnai Annis and Camille Wilson scored the tying and game-winning goals for the Malditas, who trailed nine minutes in after allowing a Bimala Chaudhury header into the net.

Nearing the end of the match the @PilipinasWNFT trailed 1-0 and were close to losing their shot at qualifying for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

But then the Malditas gave us a reminder why you should always play until the final whistle 🇵🇭⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/9LDtQU1iiO

— Paolo del Rosario (@paodelrosario) September 18, 2021

The victory allows the Philippines to vault ahead of idle Hong Kong atop the group with three points, with the top finisher being rewarded a spot in the tournament proper next year.

The Malditas will be interested observers when Hong Kong and Nepal face off on Tuesday, before facing the former on Friday. Both matches will have a 6pm kickoff (Manila time).

The Philippines is seeking to enter the AFC Women's Asian Cup for the tenth time in its history. Their previous appearance in 2018 put them one win short of securing one of the coveted five Asian slots in the FIFA Women's World Cup in France.

Dan Palami seeks fan support for upcoming Azkals matches

Dan Palami

With the upcoming friendly against Fiji and the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Tajikistan coming in the next few days, Senior Men's National Team Manager Dan Palami is asking Filipino fans to support the Azkals in these matches.

According to Palami, "This is an important match for the country, and the cards are not exactly stacked against us. We are currently on top of the table of Group F with 9 points. We win or we draw, we will move forward and the country will be part of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time."

He continues, "We want the ‘12th man’ to be there in both the tune-up game and the Asian Cup qualifier match.  This sport deserves all the support it can get, as we have already gone far, since 2010, when I took over as Team Manager of Azkals."

Palami adds, "We should also be proud of our national team players who are doing well internationally in their various clubs. Such as Neil Etheridge, currently with Cardiff City, and all other previous PFL club players, who are doing well and are now playing for neighboring Asian countries, such as Ian Ramsay, who is currently with Felda United and Misagh Bahadoran, who is with Perak FA… And maybe this is the only way that the country or the youth can see, that aspiring for an international football career is not that impossible."

The friendly against Fiji on March 22 is to get the team ready for the Qualifier against Tajikistan on March 27, with a berth in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates on the line.

Tickets for both matches are available either through SM Tickets or through the gate at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. The match will be shown LIVE on Liga.

PFF calls up Azkals Squad For Yemen ACQ

ACQ a few days from now

Earlier this week, the Philippine Football Federation officially called 23 players for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Yemen. The ACQ will take place on September 5 at the Pana-ad Park and Football Stadium in the City of Bacolod, with a 730pm kickoff. To prepare for this match, the team has been in a camp since August 28.

The players called up are as follows:

Misagh Bahardoran (Global Cebu FC)
Dylan de Bruycker (Davao Aguilas FC)
Carlie de Murga (Ceres-Negros FC)
Patrick Deyto (Global Cebu FC)
Neil Etheridge (Cardiff City FC)
Harry Föll (FC Hansa Rostock)
Joshua Grommen (Ceres-Negros FC)
Kevin Ingreso (Ceres-Negros FC)
Tyler Matas (FC Meralco Manila)
Hikaru Minegeshi (Global Cebu FC)
Junior Munoz (Ceres-Negros FC)
Paul Mulders (Global Cebu FC)
Nick O'Donnell (Davao Aguilas FC)
Manny Ott (Ceres-Negros FC)
Mike Ott (Angthong United)
Stephan Palla (RZ Pellets WAC)
Iain Ramsay (Ceres-Negros FC)
Patrick Reichelt (Ceres-Negros FC)
Simone Rota (Davao Aguilas FC)
Dennis Villanueva (Global Cebu FC)
Luke Woodland (Ceres-Negros FC)
James Younghusband (Davao Aguilas FC)
Phil Younghusband (Davao Aguilas FC)

Notable omissions include Javier Patiño and Amani Aguinaldo, who have been sidelined with injuries, as well as Daisuke Sato, who is suspended for this particular fixture as a result of getting a yellow card booking in the past two Asian Cup Qualifiers. Also notable is the absence of Stephan Schröck, which may have just announced his international retirement on a post on his Instagram account.

Even with the omissions, there are seven players set to possibly make their debut in this portion of the qualifiers, with a few making a return to national team duty.

Both Rota and Reichelt battled injuries that sidelined them for quite a bit before becoming healthy enough to get the call, while Palla gets called up for the first time in over a year. The defender last played for the national team during the World Cup Qualifiers.

Potential senior national team debuts await for the other four footballers, with De Bruycker and Grommen fresh from a stint in the Southeast Asian Games with the Under-22 National Team, Matas stepping up thanks to his role with FC Meralco Manila, and Föll as the lone overseas-based newcomer with Bundesliga 3rd division side FC Hansa Rostock.

The team once again will be handled under the auspices of former United States international Thomas Dooley, with Kurt Kowarz and Chieffy Caligdong acting as assistants.

Azkals secure hold atop Group F of Asian Cup Qualification

c/o the Tajikistan Football Federation.

The Philippines accomplished what it needed to do at Dushanbe early Wednesday morning, as they escaped with a 4-3 victory over Tajikistan in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Republican Central Stadium.

Fresh from suffering a 8-1 shellacking against China in Guangzhou, the Philippines was seeking to bounce back strong, scoring the opening goal after 28 minutes. Phil Younghusband's free kick sailed over the head of Abduaziz Mahkamov and into the net to give the visitors the early advantage.

The Azkals would double the lead after 41 minutes, as Mike Ott found Javier Patino for the easy finish. The duo then collaborate on another goal to give the Philippines what was thought to be an unassailable 3-0 lead three minutes into the second half, with Patino securing his brace.

The hosts do manage to finally break through in the 57th minute. A foul called on Amani Aguinaldo inside the box meant a penalty, with Parvizjon Umarboev converting the spot kick against Patrick Deyto. Dilshov Vasiev cut the Tajik deficit to 3-2 four minutes later, thanks to Manuschehr Dzhalilov intercepting a Junior Munoz back pass and finding Vasiev for the finish.

The Philippines restored some breathing room in the 79th minute, as Daisuke Sato took a volley from Phil and then firing a rocket past Mahkamov and into the net for the Azkals' fourth goal of the match. But Dzhalilov tried to make things interesting with a 90th minute strike to make it 4-3. Unfortunately for the Central Asians, the four minutes added by the Syrian officials could not yield them a potential tying goal.

The victory and its corresponding three points puts the Azkals on top of Group F with six points off the strength of back-to-back qualifying wins. They are two points ahead of Yemen, who were held to a scoreless draw by Nepal at Kathmandu on Tuesday afternoon. The Arabs will be traveling to Bacolod to face the Azkals in a 1 vs 2 matchup on September 5, with the Pana-ad Stadium hosting the qualifier.

PHI: Munoz (Daniels 64'), Mi. Ott (Doctora 60'), Ramsay, Ma. Ott, P. Younghusband, Sato, Aguinaldo, Villanueva, Ingreso (Woodland 77'), Deyto, Patino

Goals: P. Younghusband 28', Patino 41' 48', Sato 79'

TJK: Mahkamov, Asrorov, I. Dhzalilov, Ergashev, Sharipov (Juraboev 46'), Huber (Vasiev 46'), Umarboev, Babadjanov (Aliev 52'), Fathuloev, Nazarov, M. Dzhalilov

Goals: Umarboev 57' pen, Vasiev 61', M. Dzhalilov 90'

Update: Current Philippine Football Federation Atty. Ed Gastanes released a statement in light of this win:

"We congratulate our national team for their second win in the Asian Cup Qualifiers. This was a perfect response after last week's loss in a friendly with China PR. The win increased our chances for a place in the 2019 Asian Cup."

Philippines vs Tajikistan AFC Asian Cup Qualifier

The Philippines seeks to remain on top of Group F in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers at midnight tonight, as they face off against Tajikistan at the Central Republican Stadium. Streaming link is posted below.



In the pre-match press conference, Tajik head coach Khakim Fuzaylov highlighted the urgency of this particular matchup, noting that they "have no right to make a mistake in front of our fans." He added that "the Philippines is a good and strong opponent." Although they did not schedule a friendly, they had ten days of preparation that included a intra-squad scrimmage. One major factor that could possibly hinder the team's performance is the absence of Nuriddin Davronov. The Dunav Ruse midfielder was injured while on loan with Istiklol and missed out on the Tajik side's 1-0 win against Turkmenistan side Altyn Asyr that booked them a seat in the AFC Cup Inter-Zonal Semifinal.

Although the Azkals are level on points atop Group F alongside Yemen, they are fresh off a 8-1 thrashing from China a week earlier. The team hopes to learn from the embarrassing defeat and move on from it with a victory.

The Philippine Football Federation has called-up the following players for national team duty tonight:

Amani Aguinaldo (Global Cebu FC)
Fitch Arboleda (Stallion Laguna FC)
Misagh Bahadoran (Global Cebu FC)
Kenshiro Daniels (Kaya FC)
Dominic Liam Del Rosario (Ilocos United FC)
Patrick Deyto (Global Cebu FC)
Ruben Doctora, Jr. (Stallion Laguna FC)
Kevin Ingreso (Ceres-Negros FC)
Junior Munoz (Ceres-Negros FC)
Nick O'Donnell (Global Cebu FC)
Manny Ott (Ceres-Negros FC)
Mike Ott (Angthong United)
Javier Patino (Henan Jianye)
Iain Ramsay (Ceres-Negros FC)
Daisuke Sato (CSM Politechnica Iasi)
Camelo Tacusalme (JPV Marikina FC)
Dennis Villanueva (Global Cebu FC)
Nathanael Ace Villanueva (FC Meralco Manila)
Luke Woodland (Ceres-Negros FC)
James Younghusband (FC Meralco Manila)
Phil Younghusband (FC Meralco Manila)

Important to note that Thomas Dooley, in Bob Guerrero's preview, has ruled out Hikaru Minegeshi (shin infection) and Jeffrey Christiaens (knee) for the match versus Tajikistan and has since dropped them from the original call-up list from the China friendly. Also confirmed to be out for the match, but remained called-up, is James Younghusband (ankle). In encouraging news, both Misagh Bahadoran and Daisuke Sato have been deemed as "should be fine" and "good to go" after being unable to finish the friendly. Javier Patino missed the friendly but is expected to play.

To compensate for the injuries, Balot Doctora has since been called up to make the trip to Dushanbe. Ace Villanueva joined the Stallion Laguna FC captain in the trip to the Tajik capital. He had been originally called up for the China friendly, but did not make the trip to Guangzhou.

Philippines vs Bahrain AFC Women's Asian Cup match details

c/o Tajikistan Football Federation

The Philippines is looking to secure their first-ever Asian Cup berth on Monday night (Manila time), as they face Bahrain in the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers in Dushanbe.

The Malditas have impressed in Group A, tacking on two 4-0 wins over the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, then just put up an 8-0 result against hosts Tajikistan.

With nine points in three matches, they share the lead in the group alongside Jordan, who have already booked a berth in the finals proper as its hosts next year.

They face a Bahrain side that still has a slim chance of getting through to the next round. Armed with four points in three matches, they will need to win out AND for Jordan to prevent a Philippine victory to snatch that finals berth.

It is those stakes that head coach Letecia Bautista was harping on after the game.

We could’ve controlled the game better and we were a bit erratic early on. We need to work on our passing and distribution. With the momentum we’re having right now we can go into the match on Monday with a positive attitude – but we don’t want to underestimate Bahrain. But before then we will enjoy Dushanbe, as we have two rest days tomorrow and Sunday. We will do some light exercises, have a tour of the city and on Sunday we will go back to the routine.

For those looking for a streaming link, here you go.



The 19-woman team the Philippines is fielding is composed of the following:

Aira Audrey Alexis Agustin (UP)
Joanna Michelle Almeda (La Salle-Zobel)
Hazel Romina Arce (FEU)
Alexi Nina Arrieta (La Salle)
Zhyrelle Lou Belluga (FEU)
Anicka Chabeli Castaneda (La Salle-Zobel)
Sara Isobel Castaneda (La Salle)
Alisha Claire del Campo (La Salle-Zobel)
Alesa Dolino (Outkast FC)
Mary Christine Duran (La Salle)
Patrice Mae Impelido (Hiraya FC)
Claire Elisabeth Lim (UC-Santa Cruz)
Hali Moriah Long (Little Rock '16)
Eva Madarang (Rogers State University)
Irish Navaja (La Salle)
Inna Kristianne Palacios (La Salle)
Hannah Malone Parado (North Florida)
Jovelle Sudaria (FEU)
Patricia Tomanon (Florida International '16)

Philippines vs Tajikistan AFC Women's Asian Cup match details

c/o Tajikistan Football Federation

After a couple of 4-0 victories, the Philippines looks to continue its impressive run at the Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers at Dushanbe later today, facing off against Group A hosts Tajikistan at 7pm Manila time.

The ladies of Buda Bautista scored the bulk of the goals against Iraq within a nine-minute span to end the first half (Hali Long in the 44th, Sara Castaneda in the 45+1st, Alesa Dolino in the 45+3rd), something their coach Adil Qader acknowledged afterwards.

“We lost the match because of the three goals we conceded in the five minutes before half-time. Philippines are a great team and although we lost the match, we are improving step by step. We hope that in the coming matches we will get some goals and points.” 

With the temperatures being as cool as it is the past couple of games, Buda made the necessary adjustments.

We have been trying to adapt to the weather and made some minor adjustments in attack ahead of today’s match. Still, in the second half we were able to control the ball but lacked the ability to finish. Everyone, including the Iraq team, played well today, I applaud them – they have improved since their first match, they played as a team today.

Completing the list of goalscorers is Eva Madarang, who opened up the scoring in the 21st minute. The soon-to-be Rogers State University Hillcat shared this afterwards:

I am happy about the goal I scored and helped the team so am pleased with today. I always like to have some background of the team we are playing so I did some research before this match, on their key players and especially the defenders.

The hosts are fresh from a 4-0 loss to Bahrain after opening their campaign with a narrow 1-0 win over Iraq.

Those who need a streaming link for the game can check it out below.




The 19-woman team the Philippines is fielding is composed of the following:

Aira Audrey Alexis Agustin (UP)
Joanna Michelle Almeda (La Salle-Zobel)
Hazel Romina Arce (FEU)
Alexi Nina Arrieta (La Salle)
Zhyrelle Lou Belluga (FEU)
Annicka Chabeli Castaneda (La Salle-Zobel)
Sara Isobel Castaneda (La Salle)
Alisha Claire del Campo (La Salle-Zobel)
Alesa Dolino (Outkast FC)
Mary Christine Duran (La Salle)
Patrice Mae Impelido (Hiraya FC)
Claire Elisabeth Lim (UC-Santa Cruz)
Hali Moriah Long (Little Rock '16)
Eva Madarang (Rogers State University)
Irish Navaja (La Salle)
Inna Kristianne Palacios (La Salle)
Hannah Malone Parado (North Florida)
Jovelle Sudaria (FEU)
Patricia Tomanon (Florida International '16)

Philippines vs Iraq AFC Women's Asian Cup match

c/o the Tajikistan Football Federation

The Philippines is looking to make it back to back in Dushanbe for AFC Women's Asian Cup action, facing off against Iraq this afternoon at the Republican Central Stadium.

The Letecia Bautista-coached side are fresh from a 4-0 victory over UAE in rainy conditions, which she highlighted afterwards:

The girls really played well and they worked together, that was the most important part. The weather had a positive impact on our game because the girls kept moving, that made a difference. In the second half they were more relaxed, more composed, passing around, and we are happy with our performance. But we can still improve, there were lapses as well. Back in the Philippines we hadn’t scored this many in our games so we were really happy to have the four goals.

Eva Madarang scored a couple of first half goals, with the lethal La Salle combination of Irish Navaja and Sara Castaneda assisting on each other's goals four minutes apart in the second half.

Meanwhile, Iraq is fresh off a narrow 1-0 defeat to hosts Tajikistan, allowing a late goal from Jonona Halimova in the 87th minute.

Streaming link for the match has been provided for us by the Tajikistan Football Federation below.



The 19-woman team the Philippines is fielding is composed of the following:

Aira Audrey Alexis Agustin (UP)
Joanna Michelle Almeda (La Salle-Zobel)
Hazel Romina Arce (FEU)
Alexi Nina Arrieta (La Salle)
Zhyrelle Lou Belluga (FEU)
Annicka Chabeli Castaneda (La Salle-Zobel)
Sara Isobel Castaneda (La Salle)
Alisha Claire del Campo (La Salle-Zobel)
Alesa Dolino (Outkast FC)
Mary Christine Duran (La Salle)
Patrice Mae Impelido (Hiraya FC)
Claire Elisabeth Lim (UC-Santa Cruz)
Hali Moriah Long (Little Rock '16)
Eva Madarang (Rogers State University)
Irish Navaja (La Salle)
Inna Kristianne Palacios (La Salle)
Hannah Malone Parado (North Florida)
Jovelle Sudaria (FEU)
Patricia Tomanon (Florida International '16)

Philippines vs UAE AFC Women's Asian Cup match

The Philippines is set to kick off its AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifier against the United Arab Emirates tonight at the Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe.

FIFA talked to the UAE team for this piece they put out on their website.

Streaming link for the match has been provided for us by the Tajikistan Football Federation below.



The 19-woman team the Philippines is fielding is composed of the following:

Aira Audrey Alexis Agustin (UP)
Joanna Michelle Almeda (La Salle-Zobel)
Hazel Romina Arce (FEU)
Alexi Nina Arrieta (La Salle)
Zhyrelle Lou Belluga (FEU)
Annicka Chabeli Castaneda (La Salle-Zobel)
Sara Isobel Castaneda (La Salle)
Alisha Claire del Campo (La Salle-Zobel)
Alesa Dolino (Outkast FC)
Mary Christine Duran (La Salle)
Patrice Mae Impelido (Hiraya FC)
Claire Elisabeth Lim (UC-Santa Cruz)
Hali Moriah Long
Eva Madarang (Rogers State University)
Irish Navaja (La Salle)
Inna Kristianne Palacios (La Salle)
Hannah Malone Parado (North Florida)
Jovelle Sudaria (FEU)
Patricia Tomanon 

Philippines vs Nepal AFC Asian Cup Qualifier Details

The Philippines is set to kick off its quest to nab its first AFC Asian Cup finals appearance against Nepal tonight at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Tonight marks the final night the Azkals are slated to have the Asian Cup Qualifiers at the hallowed facility, with the Philippine Football Federation having decided to have the other two home matches for the 2019 edition take place at Panaad Stadium in Bacolod.

The game is not televised locally, but the PFF has opted to conduct live streaming of the event. Philippine Daily Inquirer's Cedelf Tupas and Interaksyon's Ryan Fenix will be taking care of announcing and analyst duties for tonight.


The Azkals are 3-0 against the Gorkhalis in its recent history, owning two 3-0 victories in 2014 and a 4-0 win  2011.

Nepal will be fielding this lineup under the direction of Gyotoku Koji:

Bikesh Kuthu
Kiran Kumar Limbu
Bishal Shrestha
Rabin Shrestha
Biraj Maharjan
Ananta Tamang
Aditya Chaudhary
Kamal Shrestha
Ranjit Dhimal
Jitendra Karki
Rohit Chand
Bishal Rai
Heman Gurung
Bikram Lana
Anjan Bista
Sujal Shreshtha
Bimal Gharti Magar
Ranjan Bista
Bharat Khawas
Karna Limbu

As for the Azkals, Thomas Dooley has enlisted Anton Ugarte to replace Misagh Bahadoran and Kevin Ingreso. Both players are sidelined due to injury.

PFF releases ticket guidlines for World Cup Qualifier / Asian Cup Qualifier match vs North Korea

The Philippine Football Federation on Thursday, announced that tickets from the upcoming World Cup Qualifier / Asian Cup Qualifier match against the DPR Korea will be released on Friday, February 26.

Like the previous matches involving the senior men's national football team, TicketWorld will be handling ticket distribution.

Prices are as follows:

Category 1 – Php 1,500.00
Category 2 – Php 1,000.00
Category 3 – Php 500.00
Category 4 – Php 300.00
Category 5 – Php 200.00
Category 6 – Php 100.00

The qualifier will take place on March 29 at Rizal Memorial, with an 8pm kickoff.

23-man Filipino roster for Philippines against Yemen squad called up

The Philippine Football Federation on Friday officially called up 23 men for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifer / AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Yemen on November 12.

Amani Aguinaldo
Misagh Bahadoran
Kenshiro Daniels
Patrick Deyto
Neil Etheridge
Rob Gier
Juani Guirado
Kevin Ingreso
Jerry Lucena
Paul Mulders
Roland Mueller
Manny Ott
Stephan Palla
Javier Patino
OJ Porteria
Iain Ramsay
Patrick Reichelt
Simone Rota
Daisuke Sato
Stephan Schroeck
Martin Steuble
Dennis Villanueva
Phil Younghusband

Notable among the inclusions is Younghusband, who is suspended for this match due to card accumulation.

Tickets for the dual qualifier, which will be played at Rizal Memorial Stadium, are available via TicketWorld. It will also be televised on ABS-CBN Sports+Action. Kickoff is slated at 8pm.

Philippines vs Uzbekistan World Cup Qualifier announcement

Next WCQ/ACQ match

The Philippine Football Federation has released details on the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifier / AFC Asian Cup Qualifier match involving the Philippines and Uzbekistan.

The Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan will host the dual qualifier on September 8, with kickoff slated at 8pm.

Football enthusiasts will be able to purchase tickets to this match via Ticketworld, with prices ranging from PhP 125.40 to PhP 331.40 and PhP 531.80. Use the guide below for seating.

PSS seating plan

Said announcement did not say if there will be available shuttle services like what was conducted during the qualifier against Bahrain.