The Filipinas football team is carrying the thrill of their historic gold medal at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games into preparations for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia next March. The SEA Games triumph ended a long-standing duopoly by Vietnam and Thailand in women’s football, giving the team a surge of confidence ahead of the Continental meet, which serves as a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Coach Mark Torcaso emphasized the importance of celebrating the SEA Games achievement while keeping the focus forward. “We’ll enjoy this one, we have to enjoy this one because it’s been a long time coming for this country to win the SEA Games,” he said, reflecting on the 6-5 penalty shootout victory over Vietnam after 120 scoreless minutes.

Filipinas ready for bigger challenges

Torcaso believes the squad of veterans and emerging talents is capable of making a strong impression at the Asian Cup. “We saw how disciplined our girls can be against good teams, and I truly believe that we can do that against Australia, South Korea, or Iran. We can do something special there and aim for another World Cup,” he said.

In Group A, the Filipinas must finish among the top two teams to advance directly to the quarterfinals, with the four winners securing a direct berth to the World Cup. The four losing sides will still have a chance to compete for two additional spots through play-in matches.

Team cohesion drives success

Torcaso highlighted the balance of experience and youth within the team as a key factor in their SEA Games victory. “The most pleasing thing for me in this competition was that we showed we have a group of players, both experienced and young, who are ready to fight for our country from start to finish, even in penalty shootouts,” he said.

The SEA Games win not only capped a historic campaign but also set the stage for the Filipinas football team to challenge regional powerhouses in pursuit of a World Cup berth.