PH women’s football team set for Uzbekistan flight for AFC Cup

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Philippine women’s football team is finally returning to action this September 18 as they begin their quest for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 qualifiers in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

It has already been two months since head coach Marlon Maro began their training camp and they are out to prove once again that they are one of the top football teams in Asia once action begins.

22 players were called up by the management including top players Inna Palacios, Hali Long, Tahnai Annis, Jessica Miclat, and Ryley Bugay.

Meanwhile, Maro and the coaching staff also decided to put in some new names in the national team: Arianna LePage and Isabelle Mapanao, former members of the youth team.

Completing the members of the PH Malditas: Olivia Davies McDaniel, Sofia Harrison, Chelo Hodges, Tara Shelton, Patricia Tomanon, Sara Castaneda, Anicka Castaneda, Malea Cesar, Charisa Lemoran, Rocelle Mendano, Camille Rodriguez, Alyssa Ube, Camille Wilson, Alisha Del Campo, and Chandler McDaniel.

The team will kick off their AFC campaign against the tough Nepal national team held at the JAR Stadium at 6 PM (Philippine tim).

Next up in the tournament’s Group F is Hong Kong on September 24. If PH will clinch top group honors after the qualifiers, they will automatically earn an outright berth in the Women’s Asian Cup set from January 20 to February 6.