The Philippine under-17 women’s national football team will compete to qualify to the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup for a third straight time, as the Young Filipinas were drawn in Group H of the qualifying round alongside former Asian Cup participants Bangladesh and Uzbekistan.
The qualifiers for the 2027 edition will take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from October 5 to 11, 2025.
“Our Young Filipinas will certainly face tough opposition in the qualifiers as Bangladesh and Uzbekistan are rising powers in women’s football in Asia, as seen in the performance of their senior squads last Women’s Asian Cup in Australia,” PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez emphasized the federation’s commitment to the team’s success.
“As such, PFF is committed to sending a strong youth team for the qualification tournament,” he said. “The girls are battle tested against reigning four-time World Cup champion North Korea and continental elite South Korea and with the influx of new and young talents that are being developed by our women’s program, PFF is aiming to be a consistent contender in the U17 Women’s Asian Cup.”
The Young Filipinas are preparing early for the qualifiers as the staff, managed by Selu Lozano, will conduct a talent identification camp in Irvine, California from August 3 to 4.
“It is imperative for PFF to strengthen the youth programs of the women’s side, as they will be the future backbone of our World Cup contending Filipinas squad. Numerous Filipinas players are products of our U17 program, from the likes of Inna Palacios to the newer generation of youth talent like Alexa Pino, proving that the U17 team is a vital component in PFF’s overall football development program,” Gutierrez concluded.
