With just days to go before the Filipinas kick off their title defense in the ASEAN MSIG Serenity Cup 2025, the Philippine Women’s National Football Team finds itself facing a far more imposing challenge on the horizon.
Drawn into Group A of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup alongside powerhouse squads Australia, South Korea, and Iran, the Filipinas have been handed what many fans and pundits alike are calling the tournament’s “Group of Death.”
The moment the draw was revealed on July 29 at the Sydney Town Hall, Filipino football fans took to social media to express their concerns, bemoaning the nation’s tough luck.
Even Philippine Football Federation President John Gutierrez subtly acknowledged the difficult road ahead during an event held last Saturday at Studio 300 in Magallanes.
The gathering, which celebrated the recent Lion City Cup and ASEAN U-23 Mandiri Cup campaigns of the U-16 and U-23 squads, also served as a sendoff for the Filipinas ahead of their ASEAN tournament bid.
But head coach Mark Torcaso refuses to feel daunted by the task ahead.
“Every game is important — 100%. Every game is equally important. We’re gonna make sure we’re ready for that,” Torcaso declared.
While the Women’s Asian Cup looms large in March 2026, the Filipinas will first turn their attention to the immediate task at hand: retaining their ASEAN crown.
They open their group stage campaign this Thursday against Timor Leste, followed by matches against Australia U-23 and Myanmar. Only the top two teams in Group A will move on to the next round.
On paper, the Filipinas are the favorites to advance — but Torcaso knows nothing is guaranteed. The stakes are higher now, especially with the Asian Cup just a few months away.
The ASEAN tournament, along with the 33rd Southeast Asian Games later this year, serves as a crucial part of the team’s buildup toward their ultimate goal: performing well on the continental stage.
For Torcaso, these next few months are also about continuing the integration and development of the team’s younger talents — several of whom stood out during the recent Asian Cup qualifying campaign.
“I think the really important thing for me there was that we saw Alexa Pino and her talent in the last Asian Cup qualifiers,” said the 44-year-old mentor.
“We saw her explode. She looked like a really solidified national team player, and I’m hoping this tournament does the same for 2-3 players or 4-5 players.”
Torcaso singled out several young players he believes could have breakout performances.
“I can see Nina Mathelus playing a fantastic tournament. I can see Bella Alamo playing a fantastic tournament. Bella Pasion had a fantastic Asian Cup qualifiers (campaign). I can see some of these young girls coming out of this tournament doing really well for us. Hopefully, it helps them feel what international tournaments are about and helps them for the future.”
While there’s plenty of promise in the pipeline, the Filipinas also carry the pressure of being the face of Philippine football — a standard they set after their historic 2022 ASEAN title and 2023 Women’s World Cup campaign.
“We’re gonna go away and make sure we give our absolute best for the country, and hopefully bring back something like our Under-16 Boys and obviously the joy that our Under-23 Men’s had as well,” said Torcaso.
“We’ll be going there to fight for our country and make sure we do our absolute best for our preparations for the Asian Cup next year.”
