The Philippine Women’s National Football Team is heading back to the Asian Games, and this time, they’re not going alone. The Filipinas will compete in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, marking their second straight appearance at the continental showpiece following a quarterfinal finish three years ago in Hangzhou.
This Asian Games campaign comes on the heels of real momentum too. Just six months ago, the Filipinas secured their second consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance by beating Uzbekistan in the playoff match of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
The squad named for the campaign includes goalkeepers Olivia Alexandra McDaniel, Nina Andrea Meollo, and Gabrielle Ann Rourke; defenders Hali Moriah Long, Kaya Hawkinson, Azumi Oka, Reina Gabriela Bonta, Aiselyn Marie Sia, Sofia Nicole Wunsch, and Jourdyn Curran; midfielders Isabella Pasion, Jaclyn Katrina Sawicki, Katrina Jacqueline Guillou, Tea Pidding, Carleigh Frilles, Camryn Penn, Skye Leach, and Megan Murray; and forwards Mary Louise Ramirez, Dionesa Tolentin, Natalie Collins, Angela Rachael Beard, and Alessandrea Casimere Carpio.
McDaniel, Long, Sawicki, Guillou, Frilles, and Beard are national team fixtures, and they are expected to lead the Filipinas’ Asian Games chase.
A Tough Road for the Filipinas
Nagoya won’t be gentle, though. The Philippines has been drawn into Group G alongside three-time gold medalist China, Uzbekistan, and Hong Kong—a group with genuine history attached.
The Filipinas last faced China all the way back in 2018 at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Amman, Jordan, and lost 0-3. Hong Kong is far more recent history, beaten 1-0 in July 2025 during Asian Cup qualifiers in Cambodia, and Uzbekistan has already fallen to the Philippines this year too, 2-0, in a 2027 FIFA World Cup qualification match during the Asian Cup itself. The top two teams from each group, plus the two best third-placed sides overall, advance to the quarterfinals.
A Milestone for Philippine Football
PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez framed the campaign as bigger than just this one tournament, pointing to something the Philippines has never done before. “As one of the founding nations of the Asian Games, we recognize the deep prestige this Asian Games carries for our nation, and fielding both our men’s and women’s national teams for the first time is a milestone moment for Philippine football,” Gutierrez said. “We are giving this campaign our fullest support, ensuring both teams are equipped to compete with pride and purpose on this grand continental stage.”
Head coach Mark Torcaso didn’t sugarcoat the difficulty of the draw, either. “If I look at the groupings, I think all the groups are tough groups in their own individual ways. I think our group is a tough group,” he said. “We’ve got Hong Kong, who we narrowly beat to qualify for the Asian Cup as well, who are also a very good team, and we also know how good China is.”
There’s an upside buried in that difficulty, too—China represents an opponent Torcaso’s side simply hasn’t faced during his tenure. “We haven’t played China ever since I’ve been here. China is a great team and it gives us a chance to play against a very, very good team,” he said. “But again… this Asian Games is also about preparing us for the World Cup.”
A Chance for New Faces
With the tournament falling outside the FIFA window, several regular players won’t be available for the Filipinas, but it is a gap Torcaso is treating as opportunity rather than obstacle.
“[In this] Asian Games, [we] have a few players unavailable as it’s outside of the FIFA window, and we will use this opportunity to continue to test our young players and give opportunities to players to announce themselves on the national stage,” he said. “We want to give a chance for every player to be an option for next year’s World Cup. We will use this Asian Games as one of these options.”
That doesn’t mean the ambition is any smaller. “We want to advance as a group. We want to go as far as we can in this competition. We want to enjoy success,” Torcaso said. “It’s as important as the Southeast Asian Games [where] we won gold. Our opportunity to win a medal or to go as far as possible is a reality here as well.”
He also made a point of thanking the federation for getting both national teams to Nagoya in the first place. “A big thank you to the Philippine Football Federation, President John Gutierrez, General Secretary Gelix Mercader for undertaking the processes for us to play in these tournaments,” Torcaso said. “We have two teams this year, our men’s team as well as our women’s team. Support us and we will do our best to represent the country proud.”
Filipinas’ Asian Games Schedule
The Filipinas open their campaign against Uzbekistan on September 14 at 1 p.m., before facing Hong Kong on September 17 at 6 p.m. and China on September 21 at 3 p.m., all Philippine Standard Time, with every match played at Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium.
