Following their impressive qualification for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 with a perfect record in Group G, Philippine Women’s National Football Team Head Coach Mark Torcaso shared his insights on the team’s journey and their ambitious plans for continued development.
Coach Torcaso expressed immense satisfaction with the team’s performance during the qualifiers. “We set out a goal and a target to qualify, to win all the games, but it was very important for us not just to win the games, it was also important that we didn’t concede and we wanted to score as many goals as possible,” he stated. “We achieved that, and we not only achieved that by doing the targets we set, but we also played very well, particularly in the first two games.”
He highlighted the success of the camp, noting the opportunity to integrate and assess many promising young players.
Looking ahead, the focus is firmly on the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in Australia. Coach Torcaso outlined a strategic approach to the Filipinas’ preparation, emphasizing the upcoming ASEAN MSIG Serenity Cup in Vietnam and the SouthEast Asian Games in December as crucial opportunities.
“We will be bringing a lot of our good young players to the [ASEAN] tournament,” he explained, acknowledging that some senior players might be unavailable due to the tournament falling outside a FIFA window. “This will be a chance for us to see some players that might not have played a lot in the last couple of camps, and some of our good young players will come.”
The coach underscored the importance of these tournaments for player development, particularly for the younger generation. “The plan for the next six months is to make sure that some of those good young players are ready to play in a senior competition in the Asian Cup 2026 in Australia,” he affirmed, citing examples like Alex Pino, Bella Passion, and Chayse Ying who have already shown great potential.
Coach Torcaso also touched upon the program’s continuity and the strong foundation laid. While acknowledging the departure of Assistant Coach Andrew Durante, he expressed confidence in the remaining staff and the team’s collective drive.
“Myself and all the other staff will be working towards getting us a successful result in the Asian Cup and preparing a good team over the next six to ten months,” he said. Regarding Durante’s departure, Torcaso clarified, “The plan for Dura was to come in and help us get to the Asian Cup and he did that, and he’ll be sorely missed, but unfortunately, he couldn’t carry on after this camp.”
The support from the PFF has been a significant factor in the team’s recent successes. Coach Torcaso noted the positive atmosphere in camp, stating, “The girls have come into camp refreshed, but they’ve also come into camp feeling really supported.”
He added, “We were able to obviously get our success from the support of everyone, and it’s been a really, really comfortable camp.” The presence and encouragement of PFF President John Gutierrez during the Cambodia qualifiers were particularly appreciated. “It was good to have President John with us in Cambodia. He had a couple of words to say to the girls, which was really good prior to the camp, some introduction messages, and then he congratulated the girls and everything at the end of the camp,” Torcaso shared, highlighting the reassuring presence of the federation’s leadership.
Ultimately, the long-term vision remains clear: the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
“That’s the ultimate goal,” Coach Torcaso concluded. “These are the small steps and stages that we need to take to get to the World Cup, and this is one of the first and second steps getting to the Asian Cup. We want to make sure that we give every player the chance to show us their talents.”
The Filipinas are set for a busy and crucial period of preparation as they build towards the Asian Cup, with a clear focus on developing talent and achieving further success on the international stage.
Their next tournament – the Serenity Cup – is scheduled from August 6 to 19 at the Viet Tri Stadium and Lach Tray Stadium.
