The Philippines Girls Under-16 National Team will compete in the AFC U16 Women’s Championship 2019 Qualifiers Round 1 from 19-23 September 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The Philippines are grouped with host Nepal, Malaysia, and Myanmar in Group E. The top team in each group at the end of the qualifiers, along with the two best second placed teams, will advance to the second round of the qualifiers which will be held in February 2019. The final round, which also serves as qualifiers for the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, will be held in Thailand in in September 2019.
Team head coach Joyce Landagan is assisted by assistant coaches Marielle Benitez and Eleonora Dillera, and physiotherapist Anna Liza Demegillo. The team’s technical adviser is former Philippine Women’s National Team head coach Letecia Bautista
“I’m excited, it’s a new batch, a new challenge, the potential is there. We just need to perform and be composed, and I’m excited to see them play in the qualifiers,” said Landagan. “If we play as a team, we will work hard maybe we will get the result that we want.”
“We wish the Philippines Girls Under-16 team the best of luck in the AFC U16 Women’s Championship 2019 Qualifiers Round 1,” said PFF general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes. “This tournament is the first step on the road to the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.”
21 players will represent the team in the qualifiers, 15 were part of the Marielle Benitez-coached Philippines Girls U16 team in the AFF U16 Girls’ Championship 2018 held in Palembang, Indonesia last May 2018.
The team trained at the PFF National Training Center inside the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite and had tune up matches with several school teams in the run up to the qualifiers.
The team left for Nepal last Thursday 13 September 2018. The matches will be shown via live-streaming at mycujoo.tv.
Players (Name – Position – Place of Birth)
Fixtures
19 September 2018 – 3:30 PM Local time (5:45 PM Manila time)
Philippines vs Nepal
21 September 2018 – 11:30 AM Local time (1:45 PM Manila time)
Malaysia vs Philippines
23 September 2018 – 11:30 AM Local time (1:45 PM Manila time)
Philippines vs Myanmar