The Philippine Women's National Football Team. Photo from PFF
MANILA — The Philippine Women's National Football Team, with a return to the FIFA Women's World Cup on its target list, is now preparing for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026.
Head coach Mark Torcaso said the Filipinas are "up for the challenge" following the conclusion of the tournament draw on Tuesday night.
They are pooled with host Australia, South Korea, and Iran in Group A.
The Asian Cup is the primary qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women's World Cup, with six direct berths available.
To secure a direct qualification, teams must advance from the group stages by finishing as one of the top two teams in their group or as one of the two best third-placed teams across all three groups.
"Really excited by it, and I know that our players will be up for the challenge," Torcaso said in a statement made available to the media by the Philippine Football Federation.
READ: Filipinas book 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup ticket after taking down Hong Kong
"Every team here that has qualified obviously deserves to be here and they’re all going to be difficult opponents. It didn’t really matter who we were going to play, every game is going to be tough, and every game we have to be extremely determined and focused to get an outcome," he added.
The national team will open its Asian Cup campaign against currently ranked 15th host Australia on March 1, and will be facing South Korea (ranked 21st) on March 5, as well as Iran (ranked 68th) on March 8.
READ: Filipinas drawn with host Australia in 2026 AFC Women's Asia Cup
With the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification remaining fresh in their minds, Torcaso said he's optimistic of their chances.
“We’re really excited by this opportunity, playing against the host in front of a big crowd in the first game, along with South Korea and Iran in the group,” he expressed.