Aston Villa’s Maz Pacheco set to make her Filipinas debut

Aston Villa Women’s Maz Pacheco makes her Filipinas debut at the Pink Ladies Cup in Turkey. –PHOTO/AV WEBSITE

Maz Pacheco of English club Aston Villa is set to finally make her debut for the Philippine women’s football team in this month’s Pink Ladies Cup in Antalya, Turkey.

The Filipinas announced Saturday the inclusion of Pacheco on the 26-player squad for the competition where they’ll face Jordan on Oct.26 and Congo on Oct. 30.

Pacheco has long expressed her desire to play for the Philippines, and was even in New Zealand last year to watch the Filipinas’ maiden appearance in the Fifa Women’s World Cup.

READ: Filipinas hope ‘meteoric rise’ to Fifa World Cup is game-changer

She was born to an English father and a Filipino mother.

The 26-year-old has played for Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League since 2021 and had stints playing for England’s age-group teams.

Pacheco, who plays the role of a defender, also suited up for Liverpool, Reading and West Ham during her club career.

Janae DeFazio, who played for Kansas City in the NWSL, was also named to the lineup which saw coach Mark Torcaso come up with a mixture of mainstays and youngsters.

Sarina Bolden, Hali Long, Olivia McDaniel, Sara Eggesvik, Katrina Guillou, Quinley Quezada, Angela Beard, Jessika Cowart and Jaclyn Sawicki are joined by Nina Mathelus and Rhea Chan, among others.