THE Philippine women’s football team is already getting invitations to play in friendlies in the coming months.
Filipinas set for friendlies
Philippine Football Federation president Mariano "Nonong" Araneta revealed that an invitation from Costa Rica, which like the newly minted AFF champions, will also play in the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, to play a friendly in their home soil.
Araneta said a friendly against New Zealand is also in the works in a bid to give the Philippines more exposure to different opponents heading into the World Cup.
“We are trying to schedule more games for them against opponents who are higher than us in the rankings,” said Araneta during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.
“There have been invitations from Costa Rica to play in Costa Rica. They also have qualified in the World Cup in the Concacaf. There is an invitation and we are also trying to arrange, I think there is an arrangement to play against New Zealand. But we don’t know yet where. But it’s going to be before the draw in October. Those are our friendlies that are in the pipeline,” said Araneta.
Araneta said all the friendlies will be held before the draw ceremony for the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand.
Aside from getting exposure against top-class teams, Araneta explained that the the friendlies will also play a role in the draw for the World Cup.
“Right now, we are in the fourth pot. We just need four or eight points to go to the third pot… Hopefully, we can be in Pot 3 so that we don’t face the heavyweights right away,” said Araneta.
The two nations are ranked higher than the Philippines, currently at 53rd in the world. New Zealand is at No. 22 while Costa Rica is at No. 37.
Head coach Alen Stajcic has already indicated that the Philippines will play in all of the Fifa international windows this year as part of the preparations for the World Cup.
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