Young Filipinas ready for maiden AFC campaign

Bella Alamo (right) scores the winning goal for the Filipinas U-17 team in Thursday’s friendly against Kaya-Iloilo. —PWNT PHOTO

The man tasked to make sure the Philippines won’t be just a mere participant in its maiden appearance in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s U-17 Asian Cup believes the preparation has been top notch.

“We’re confident in these girls,” said coach Sinisa Cohadzic after the Filipinas U-17 defeated Philippine Football Federation Women’s League champion Kaya-Iloilo in a friendly match on Thursday at Vermosa in Imus, Cavite.

“They’re on a level where we believe in these girls, it’s just about working with them and getting them right,” he continued. “Now we go to the tournament, it’s about us performing, getting the intensity right and of course, getting the result.”

READ: Women’s Asian Cup-bound Filipinas U-17 beat Kaya in friendly

Cohadzic’s side is in its final phase of preparation for the continental tournament slated May 6 in Bali, Indonesia, where the Filipinas U-17 are in Group A with the host nation, North Korea and South Korea.

At stake in the Asian Cup are three slots in this year’s Fifa (International Federation of Football Associations) U-17 Women’s World Cup, which the Filipinas are looking to secure, provided they get out of the group as one of the top two teams and secure a podium finish.

“We have to be happy with our preparation, because our preparation has been very good,” said the Australian-born Cohadzic. “Having this camp two weeks before the tournament is gonna help us.

Winning goal

“But we’re gonna give it a hot try and hopefully we get to the World Cup. We want to get there and make the nation happy in regards to what these young girls are doing.”

The Filipinas downed Kaya after Bella Alamo scored the winner in the 86th minute of the friendly that was split into three periods instead of the standard two 45-minute halves.

Among the notable players in the camp are Nina Mathelus, Alexa Pino and Aiselyn Sia, who were called up to the senior team in recent friendlies.

“In the last senior camps, we got a couple of these girls who were part of the team, so the talent [in the U-17] is there,” said Cohadzic, who is part of the staff of Filipinas coach Mark Torcaso.