The Filipinas are looking to add more hardware to their trophy case.
The Philippine women's national football team are quickly learning to change hats and shift focus as competitions continue.
After competing in the 2024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the Filipinas are now bracing for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games.
The Filipinas brought home a bronze medal in the last edition of the SEA Games, but given their recent successes over the past year, it’s no surprise that the team is looking for a better finish in Cambodia.
“We're definitely well-prepared to get better than our bronze finish from last year. We definitely want to improve on that,” said goalkeeper Kiara Fontanilla on Thursday during the Summit Water virtual presser.
The Philippine team, which recently advanced to the second round of the Olympic qualifiers with a spotless record in Group E, beating Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Hong Kong, is hoping to carry over their momentum against their Southeast Asian rivals.
For a country that has yet to win a gold medal in the women's football of the SEA Games, the Filipinas will need all the momentum, rhythm, and even luck as they seek to end the drought.
“For us, moving from the Olympic Qualifiers back from last month, we are definitely getting prepared,” said Fontanilla. “That was a really good preparation for us for SEA Games.”
This is not new territory, however, for the lady footballers. In July 2022, they defeated other Southeast Asian powers like Thailand on their way to give the country's very first AFF Women's Championship trophy.
They sure hope to make history again, this time, in the SEA Games.