Three major tournaments are in the schedule of the Philippine women’s football team as part of its preparations for the FIFA World Cup, set July 20 to August 20 next year in Australia and New Zealand.
Following the lady booters’ stint in the AFC Asian Cup, Philippine Football Federation president Nonong Araneta said the team is headed to the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, the ASEAN Football Championships in Manila, and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China next.
“These are the three tournaments lined up for our team as part of the preparations for the World Cup,” said Araneta in the virtual Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday, where he was joined by PFF secretary general Ed Gastanes.
The lady booters made history on Monday when they clinched a first ever berth in the World Cup after pulling off a dramatic 1-1 (4-3) win over favored Chinese Taipei via penalty shootout during the quarterfinals of the ongoing AFC Asian Cup in Pune, India.
Other than organizing the training preparation the lady booters have to undergo for their biggest campaign ever, the PFF also has to deal with the stint of coach Alen Stajcic’s in the team.
The 48-year-old Aussie mentor’s contract with the national squad is expiring by the end of the AFC meet.
“We have to talk to coach Alen because of course, he has brought the team to where it is now,” said Araneta in the same Forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, Unilever, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and social media and webcast partner Prime Edge.
“We want him to continue until probably the World Cup next year,” added the PFF prexy. “Whatever it takes for us to get him.”
Gastanes noted how competent Stajcic is, pointing out the two-time World Cup mentor has a complete staff composed of a fitness coach, analytics, assistant, a video coordinator, and a ground coach currently doing their thing in the Asian Cup.
“Gusto natin ‘yung makuha pa rin ‘yung serbisyo ng kanyang team. Hindi siya biro. He is one of the best women coaches in the world,” said the PFF official.
The PFF is not getting ahead of the story though, and knows there’s still a job to be done in the AFC meet where the women’s team is in the semifinals for the first time.
The Filipina booters will be up against regional power South Korea in the semis scheduled on Thursday.
“We have to be realistic with our chances against Korea,” admitted Araneta, noting the Koreans stunned Australia in the quarterfinals, 1-0.
“Pero iba na ‘yung usapan ngayon because you know of what happened. ‘Yung level nila, ‘yung confidence nila that they can compete with the best, nandiyan na. So nandiyan ‘yung confidence ng team, and ‘yung morale nila na that they are in the World Cup will give them the extra motivation to play harder and go to the finals,” said Araneta.
