The Philippine Women’s National Football Team’s Pink Ladies Cup campaign ended in dismay, as they were dealt a stunning 4-1 defeat by Kenya on Wednesday night at the Emirhan Sport Complex in Antalya, Turkey, exposing a series of defensive errors and missed opportunities that overshadowed the Filipinas’ lone goal.
Sarina Bolden scored the lone goal for the Philippines, converting a penalty in the 67th minute following a handball in Kenya’s box.
This goal brought Bolden’s international tally to an impressive 31 goals in 52 appearances.
However, it was a challenging night for the 39th-ranked Philippines, facing a Kenyan squad ranked 151st globally.
“I’m disappointed because I felt that throughout the week, the girls responded well to the new system,” said head coach Mark Torcaso. “We didn’t fully execute it. There were many individual mistakes, and some of the girls know they could have performed better.”
He added, “Small errors can really impact a game plan. Against a team like Kenya — quick, physical, and featuring strong individual players who compete in top leagues — those mistakes are costly.”
Kenya took an early lead with Elizabeth Mutukiza’s goal just eight minutes in, and a Hali Long own goal in the 37th minute left the Philippines with a steep uphill climb at halftime.
Despite Bolden’s successful spot-kick, Kenya maintained control with goals from Purity Alukwe and Fasila Adhiambo in the 68th and 82nd minutes, securing their victory.
“This match was a chance for us to work on implementing new tactics, and we’re committed to that,” said Torcaso. “But we must also recognize that we can’t afford to make costly mistakes, and today we saw some of those play out.”
The Filipinas were coming off a historic 3-0 victory over Jordan to open their campaign.
