The Philippine Women’s National Football Team took a major leap forward in qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
The Filipinas defeated Hong Kong 4-0 in the 2024 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Tuesday night, to top Group E with 9 points behind three straight wins and a goal difference of +16 without conceding any goal.
Sarina Bolden was key against Hong Kong. She scored twice to set the tone for what was eventually a four-goal victory. The 5-foot-8 forward has now scored 20 goals in 33 international appearances for the Philippines.
“It was a good performance from us. From the beginning, I think we just dominated,” said Bolden.
“Coach (Alen Stajcic) kinda talked about being ruthless and taking advantage. It wasn’t just about beating teams, but making a stand and I think we did that today.”
The Filipinas were heavy favorites to move to the next phase before the matches against Pakistan, host nation Tajikistan, and Hong Kong. The Philippines is currently ranked 49th in the world while Pakistan is 161st, Tajikistan is 144th, and Hong Kong is 79th.
Bolden and her teammates had a job to do though and did not allow themselves to become complacent. Despite just needing a draw against Hong Kong to advance thanks to a superior goal difference, the Filipinas started strongly to get things done painlessly.
“I’m really proud of the team, really proud of the staff and happy to move on to the next round. Getting that first goal in the first five or six minutes was good. I’m happy with how we went into the attack quickly,” she said.
The second qualifying round of the tournament will see the likes of Australia, Japan, South Korea, and China entering the fray. The Philippines will be one of 12 teams that will be split into three groups. Only the nations that finish in first place and the best second placer will move to the third round.
Ultimately, there will only be two countries from Asia that will qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The odds may be stacked against the Filipinas but Bolden is ready to help the Filipinas break further ground in the international arena.
“Just hoping we can repeat that moving on to the next round. It’s been a couple of camps where I haven’t scored but I’m just happy to be able to contribute to the team in our hunt to go to the Olympics.”
