SUZHOU-The Philippine Women’s National Team Under-17 squad returns to the continental stage as the Young Filipinas compete in the 2026 AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup from May 1 to 17 at the Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre in Suzhou, China.
Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President John Anthony Gutierrez expressed his belief in the Young Filipinas, praising their preparation for the biennial tournament that also serves as qualifier to the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
Our U17 team has prepared with intent and purpose, with strategic camps in the Philippines, Thailand, and China, and with elite friendlies against New Zealand, Thailand, Myanmar, and China. We believe this group represents the future of Philippine women’s football.
Drawn in Group A, the Philippines will face some of Asia’s strongest sides:
- May 2: Philippines vs South Korea – 3:30 PM
- May 5: Philippines vs North Korea – 7:30 PM
- May 8: Philippines vs Chinese Taipei – 7:30 PM
(All times in Philippine time)
The squad
The Philippines will field the following players composed of locally developed talents and internationally based Filipinas:
Goalkeepers
- Leah Parker Bradley
- Brooke Anika Solis
- Ava Marillena Strauss
Field Players
- Savannah Kaitlyn Chheng
- Alyssa Grace Cromwell
- Sachiko Darcy Davis
- Ariana Sofia Enderes
- Louraine Harvey Evangelista
- Ava Rose Garcia
- Brooklin Marley Gleason
- Zada August Goslee
- Maeva Angela Javier
- Quinn Lily Kellogg
- Bethany Grace Kingsbury
- Zayla Sol Azzariah Lintag
- Chiara Angelina Mizzo
- Kaida Elizabeth Mizzo
- Maya Cecille Penetrante
- Khloe Felysa Rivera
- Luna Catalina Rivera
- Aiselyn Marie Sia
- Addison Akemi Subala
- Yurika Amor Valdevieso
Reserves
- Adriana Marguerite Bautista
- Carlene Marie Isabelle Dy
- Martina Natalia Horn
- Lauren Marie Taylor Tiangco
Coaching and management staff
Head coach Nahuel “Naz” Arrarte leads the squad, bringing experience from the Philippine women’s national football team’s historic 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign, where he served as an assistant coach.
He is joined by assistant coaches Marnelli “Let” Dimzon–a former Filipinas head coach from 2017 to 2019–and Jim Ashley Flores, alongside Spanish-Australian goalkeeping coach Jose Fernando Bello.
“The young players are inspired by the ongoing success of the senior national team and hopefully the next Hali Long, Olivia Mc Daniel or Jackie Sawicki will come through the youth programs that are being put in place,” coach Arrarte told pff.org.ph. “Alignment is the key to success in order to deliver players a positive pathway to the senior national team.”
Managing them is Selu Lozano, President of Makati Football Club, who champions holistic player development—combining technical skill, character formation, and global exposure—to elevate Filipino youth football to new heights.
The success of the senior Filipinas has shown what’s possible on the world stage. Our responsibility now is to build the base—from U15 to U17 to U20—and connect talent across the Philippines and the global Filipino community. The pieces have always been there, but never fully synchronized. What we’re doing now is integrating everything into one system and one pathway to sustain that level for the long term.
A team with a purpose
The Filipinas U17 enter the 2026 Asian Cup not only to compete—but to continue building a system.
Building the youth programs of the women’s game is paramount for the longevity of our sport in the Philippines,” Arrarte concluded.
Exposure at the highest level is very important and playing some of the best teams in the world will only benefit everyone involved.
Following a narrow miss in the previous Asian Cup cycle, the team now returns with greater depth, preparation, and belief.
This campaign represents a crucial step in developing a consistent pathway for Filipina players—from grassroots to the global stage.
