Alen Stajcic will lead the Philippines in their first-ever Women’s World Cup. But who is in their squad?
The Philippines national women’s team is set to play in their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in July, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand.
A shootout win against Chinese Taipei in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup quarter-finals ended a 32-year World Cup wait for them. Despite missing two of their opening four spot-kicks, goalkeeper Olivia Davies-McDaniel’s heroics helped her nation progress to its first FIFA tournament.
After Alen Stajcic was sacked in 2019 by Australia, the Philippines – a team that had won nothing and never qualified for a single major tournament – appointed the Aussie in October 2021. Since then, they have won the 2022 AFF Championship apart from qualifying for the World Cup.
However, in the recent 2023 Southeast Asian Games, they were unlucky to crash out from the group stage after finishing third behind Vietnam and Myanmar on goal difference after the three teams were locked on six points.
Nonetheless, they will look to overcome their disappointment and compete with renewed vigour alongside hosts New Zealand, Switzerland and Norway in Group A in the Women’s World Cup.
Who can Grings pick in the World Cup squad? GOAL takes a look…
