ALEN Stajcic has returned to the Philippine women’s football program as the Under-17 coach.
The Australian coach has accepted the job of coaching the national squad that will be competing in the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers 2027 set from October 5 to 11 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
READ Stajcic says last two Filipinas matches the best of his career
Stajcic has previously led the Filipinas to a historic first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 appearance through a semifinal finish in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
“He has come to help us. His heart has always been for us,” said Filipinas U17 team manager Selu Lozano in a comment on Facebook announcing the composition of the ballclub.
Stajcic guided the Filipinas to a 1-0 win over host New Zealand during that Women’s World Cup run in Wellington in July 2023. The campaign also saw the Philippines compete againt other top countries, losing to Switzerland, 2-0, and Norway, 6-0.
Following the Filipinas’ World Cup appearance, Stajcic stepped down to accept the head coaching role with Perth Glory in the A-League, Australia’s first division men’s football league.
Stajcic held the position until June 2024, before moving to the Western Sydney Wanderers, where he was relieved of his duties earlier this year.
The Filipinas U17 squad is in Group H where it will face host Uzbekistan on October 5 and Bangladesh on October 11.
The top team in the group will make it to the 2027 U17 Women’s Asian Cup to be held in China.
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