The Philippine women’s national football team is getting another chance to make it to the FIFA Women’s World Cup with the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup beginning next week.
The Filipinas are raring to rewrite the history books once more as they enter the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia next week.
The AFC tournament will give them a chance to join the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
And Women’s Asian Cup first-timer Jackie Sawicki is upbeat on the Philippines’ chances.
With a mix of old and new players named to the roster by head coach Mark Torcaso, the Filipinas’ current road to women’s football’s biggest stage is intriguing to say the least.
[READ:
Mark Torcaso admits Filipinas’ road to World Cup ‘tougher’ the second time around]
The bid comes just months after the Filipinas won a historic gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.
“It’s kind of crazy that we’re ending this four-year cycle again and we’re getting another opportunity for a World Cup so it’s super exciting,” Sawicki told media at the sidelines of the Filipinas homecoming at MOA Sky last Friday, February 20.
“We’ve got a lot of young energy in this squad and, we’re gonna use the gold medal as momentum heading into it.”
But as the Filipinas have grown and changed in the past few years, so has the outlook in the team’s latest bid for history.
“Yeah, I think the previous [one], I wasn’t in the last Asian Cup, so I can’t speak to their tournament, specifically, but given all the other campaigns we’ve done in between, every time, we’re working on something new and working on something from the last time,” Sawicki said.
“So I think we’re just gonna continue improving,” she added.
Sawicki is among the World Cup veterans included in the 26-woman lineup, which also features the likes of skipper Hali Long, Angie Beard, Olivia McDaniel, Sara Eggesvik, and Katrina Guillou.
The team also includes some up-and-coming talents like SEA Games revelations Mallie Ramirez, Alexa Pino, and Jael Marie Guy.
As the Filipinas face tall odds in their group where they face hosts Australia, South Korea, and Iran, the team will hope for the best once the tournament rolls on Sunday, March 1.
The Filipinas will open their campaign against the Aussies in Perth Stadium on March 1.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.