The Philippine Football Federation is delighted to announce the appointment of Australian coach Mark Torcaso as head coach of the Philippine Women’s National Team.
Torcaso, 42, is the reigning A-League Women Coach of the Year, having led Melbourne-based club Western United to the grand finals in its inaugural Australian league season early this year.
Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta, PFF general secretary Atty Edwin Gastanes and PWNT team manager Jefferson Cheng met with Torcaso in Sydney, Australia over the weekend to formalize the appointment.
Australian Sinisha Cohadzic will be Torcaso’s assistant with the PWNT and will also serve as head coach of the girls’ Under-17 and women’s Under-20 national teams.
Former New Zealand international Andrew Durante, who is also part of Torcaso’s coaching staff at Western United, was also named as an assistant coach in the PWNT program.
“We welcome coach Mark (Torcaso) and his staff to the PFF family,” said Araneta. “We are confident that they will continue raising the standards of the Philippine Women’s National Team on all aspects and take the team to greater heights at the back of a historic and memorable 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand.”
Gastanes said Torcaso will handle the PWNT in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September and the AFC Olympic Qualifiers in Perth, Australia in October. Cohadzic will handle the girls’ Under-17 in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifying Tournament in Vietnam next month.
“It is important that we continue the momentum from the Filipinas’ historic FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign in New Zealand,” said Gastanes. “We have a motivated and accomplished coach in Mark Torcaso together with his staff, ready to lead our women’s teams in upcoming competitions.”
“We are all excited to start training and competing again. We welcome Coach Mark and his team to Philippine football, and are excited to see them build on the Filipinas’ recent achievements,” Team Manager Jeff Cheng added.
Torcaso, for his part, said that he feels “incredibly privileged to accept this position with the Philippines and I am very thankful to the PFF particularly to team manager Jefferson Cheng for making it happen.”
“Watching the development of the team over the last couple of years has been amazing, from the AFF Championship to the World Cup, and I feel honored to be able to try to continue this growth,” said Torcaso, who also worked with the India women’s national team in one of their camps last year.
“I am excited to take on this opportunity and I can’t wait to meet the players and the other staff in camp next week. I look forward to the challenge alongside Sinisha (Cohadzic) and Andrew (Durante).”
Cohadzic, an AFC Pro License holder, also expressed his excitement on his role with the PFF’s women’s program.
“Being able to contribute my skills and expertise to a group of talented and dedicated athletes is truly a dream come true,” he said.
“Working with the women’s national team will not only allow me to be a part of their journey towards excellence, but also to contribute to the growth and development of women’s sports in the Philippines. I am committed to supporting these remarkable athletes in achieving their goals, both on and off the field.
I am grateful for the trust and opportunity extended to me, and I look forward to building strong relationships with the players, coaching staff, management, and supporters of the team. I am confident that our collective efforts will result in a successful journey filled with achievements and memories that will last a lifetime.”
Meanwhile, Durante said he has admired the success of the Filipinas in recent months.
“It is an honor to now be working with them,” Durante said. “Like Mark, I’m looking forward to the challenge and I am confident that we will be able to continue the team’s success. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity and I look forward to what the future holds for this team and for the Philippines as a whole.”
