Filipinas to end year with friendlies

Filipinas -PFF PHOTO

The Philippine women’s football team is set to play a pair of friendly matches against Papua New Guinea in Sydney, Australia, next week as it hopes to end a historic year on a bright note and create more progress in its World Cup preparations.

Filipinas coach Alen Stajcic’s side will take on the Oceanian side on Dec. 11 and 15 at the training ground of the Western Sydney Wanderers Park, with a pair of notable names missing from 23 players called up to camp.

“We’ve come so far in the last 11 months, but the few months leading to the World Cup will be even more challenging as a group,” Stajcic said in a statement released by the Philippine Football Federation announcing the twin games against the nation ranked three slots higher than the Filipinas.

“We have a tough road ahead of us if we want to be the best that we can be in the World Cup,” added the Australian mentor, who started 2022 in an incredible way by steering the Philippines to a breakthrough World Cup appearance.

After securing that berth through the Women’s Asian Cup, the Filipinas broke numerous grounds with a bronze medal finish in the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games and winning the Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship.