On paper, the Philippine Women’s National Football Team should be the clear favorite to top Group G in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, scheduled from June 29 to July 5 at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Eight qualification groups will be contested between June and July to determine the final teams joining pre-qualified host nation Australia, along with Japan, China, and South Korea, in the main tournament slated for March 1–21, 2026, across New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.
Currently ranked 41st in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, the Filipinas are gunning for the lone qualifying spot in Group G.
Their opponents include No. 80 Hong Kong, No. 118 Cambodia, and No. 165 Saudi Arabia — all ranked significantly lower.
But this is football — where results are decided on the pitch, not on paper or behind a keyboard.
Don’t Count the Underdogs Out
(C) PWNFT
Saudi Arabia may be underrated at 165th, but they’ve shown rapid improvement since beginning international competition in 2022.
This year alone, they’ve played six friendlies: a 0–1 loss to Indonesia, back-to-back wins over Tajikistan (4–0, 3–0), a 2–0 win against Sri Lanka, a 0–1 loss to Hong Kong, and a 1–0 victory over Bahrain.
Hong Kong, meanwhile, has also been active with five friendlies leading up to the qualifiers.
The Filipinas have faced them twice in the past five years — winning 3–1 in the 2023 Asian Games and 2–1 in the 2021 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, the latter a crucial result that propelled the team to their historic 2022 World Cup qualification.
Cambodia, the host nation, will be buoyed by home support.
While much of the team competes domestically in the Cambodian Premier League, they boast talent with international experience.
Midfielder Hok Saody and forward Yon Yoeurn play for Bangkok Women’s Football Club in the Thai Women’s League, while midfielder Chhiv Selena suits up for Concordia University in Canada.
Familiar Faces, Fresh Firepower
Filipinas head coach Mark Torcaso will lean on a roster that includes 11 players with FIFA Women’s World Cup experience.
Anchoring the defense is Olivia McDaniel in goal, backed by World Cup veterans Hali Long (team captain), Angela Beard (AIK Fotboll Dam, Sweden), Sofia Harrison, and Jessica Cowart (Vancouver Rise, Canada). Malea Cesar, currently playing for Trinity University in the U.S., returns to reinforce the right-back position.
Torcaso also has several reliable defensive options.
Janae DeFazio has impressed in her five appearances with the Filipinas. She recently played for Makati and has prior experience in the U.S. National Women’s Soccer League with Kansas City Current and in Portugal’s top flight with Racing Power.
Rhea Chan of Stallion Laguna and Katana Norman, a recent graduate from the youth national team with NCAA Division I experience, offer additional depth.
The return of Quinley Quezada from injury is a major boost.
The Filipinas’ second all-time leading scorer is expected to provide offensive firepower in the absence of top scorer Sarina Bolden and playmaker Katrina Guillou, both still recovering from injuries.
Quezada will partner with fellow World Cup veterans Jacklyn Sawicki (Calgary Wild, Canada) and Sarah Eggesvik (Western United, Australia), giving the team a midfield core with more top-level experience than any of their group opponents.
However, questions remain about where Torcaso will draw consistent offensive threats.
While there is talent across the midfield and forward lines — including promising youth program graduates — no one on the roster replicates Guillou’s creativity or Bolden’s elite goal-scoring prowess.
That said, the tournament presents an opportunity for other World Cup veterans to rise to the occasion.
Chandler McDaniel (Stallion Laguna) and Meryll Serrano (FK Haugesund, Norway) have both scored for the Filipinas in the past.
Meanwhile, Carleigh Frilles — who recently turned professional with DC Power in the U.S. USL Super League — could use this stage to have her breakout moment.
It will also be interesting to see how homegrown talents like Dionesa Tolentin (Kaya) and Charisa Lemora (Stallion) — as well as exciting young prospects such as 18-year-old Alexa Pino, 19-year-old Chayse Ying, and 16-year-old Nina Mathelus, handle the pressure of their first FIFA tournament competition.
With only one qualification spot available, a single misstep could prove disastrous.
The winner of Group G not only earns a ticket to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup but also stays on the path toward qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Anything less than a sweep of all three matches will be seen as a disappointment for the Filipinas—and you can be sure Torcaso is drilling that reality into his squad.
