Filipinas eye Fifa World Cup buildup in Australia or New Zealand
FILE – Sarina Bolden and the Filipinas celebrate a close victory in the SEA Games 2023. –PHILIPPINE WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TEAM PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Filipinas are expected to reconvene next month for another overseas training camp that will serve as final preparations for the Fifa Women’s World Cup.
Team manager Jefferson Cheng said the planned camp could be held either in Australia or possibly in New Zealand where the Filipinas will play after being drawn in Group A alongside the tournament’s co-host.
Cheng also ruled out a potential friendly or two in the Philippines because of scheduling conflicts related to the club duties of several players.
“However, we’re trying to get everybody together around the middle of June. So maybe a camp in Australia or somewhere near New Zealand already to get them acclimatized and be ready for the World Cup,” Cheng said after the unveiling of the team’s Adidas World Cup kit on Tuesday at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
The team has had a couple of camps in Australia during recent international windows, particularly at the training pitch of the Western Sydney Wanderers.
Coach Alen Stajcic’s side is currently recharging its batteries after competing in the 32nd Cambodia Southeast Asian Games that saw the Filipinas miss out on a spot in the semifinals.
During the campaign, the Filipinas lost their opening match but bounced back to beat Malaysia and eventual champion Vietnam.
That put the Filipinas at six points to equal the output of Vietnam and Myanmar, but was eliminated on goal difference. Cheng, however, opted to look for silver linings despite missing out on improving last year’s bronze medal finish.
“There’s still lots of confidence in the team,” Cheng said. “Sometimes, it’s the breaks of the game, but we’ll continue to see how we can further improve and be more consistent.”
