The Philippine women’s national football team dealt newcomer Saudi Arabia a 3-0 defeat to start the Filipinas’ return bid for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Group G of the qualifying tournament in Phnom Penh on Sunday.
Meryll Serrano added another goal in her national team career while veteran midfielder Jaclyn Sawicki and former under-17 national team top striker Alexa Pino scored their first for the Filipinas.
“We were very happy with the way the game went,” said Filipinas head coach Mark Torcaso. “We knew we were playing against a well-organised opponent but the girls were very, very ready for it and we were very happy with the outcome. Our objective is to come here to secure three points in each game and we did that.”
Sawicki, a veteran of 35 caps, has finally scored her first international goal, striking off the high press in the 16th minute off Merryl Serrano’s assist for the opening salvo.
In the 55th minute, Serrano scored with a skillful running attack, also off the high press, with Chandler McDaniel heading the assist. After three shots on goal, the 18-year-old Pino, a popular striker of the youth team, finally scored for the senior squad on her third cap, beating Shuruq Al-Hwsawi on the dribble for the final goal in the 81st minute.
“I think we played very well. There were a couple of times we all could have executed a little better on finishing,” Pino, named Player of the Match, said after the game.
“Our movement off and on the ball was very good, and we opened up spaces on the wing in the middle, and it was overall just very good,” she continued.
Fellow teenager Bella Pasion likewise shined with a defensive gem on the 1v1, cleanly tackling a streaking Seba Tawfiq in stoppage time, leading to Olivia McDaniel’s clearance.
“I think the important thing to note is we were able to start a young Bela Pasion, young Pino and they did a fantastic job in today’s game,” Torcaso commented about the younger team members.
Philippine Football Federation President John Gutierrez said of the win, “This victory is a positive start for our team in the qualifiers. We acknowledge the effort put forth by the players and coaching staff, and we look forward to their continued progress in the upcoming matches. Every match in this tournament presents a valuable opportunity for growth and development for our squad.”
The Filipinas will next face host Cambodia on July 2 at 8 PM, to broadcast live on the Filipinas official Facebook page – facebook.com/PilipinasWNFT