PHILIPPINE women’s football reached a new milestone on Sunday as the Young Filipinas clinched a spot in the AFC Under-17 Women’s Asian Cup.
The Filipinas Under-17 beat host Vietnam, 1-0, in Hanoi in the final game of the second round of qualifiers at the Vietnam Football Federation Training Center, earning a berth in the 2024 Asian Cup by finishing second place in Group B.
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Isabella Preston scored on a beautifully-struck free kick in the 56th minute from the right wing for the only goal of the match, enough for the Filipinas Under-17 to capture the victory.
The Philippines advanced to the second round last April following wins of Guam and Lebanon. After losing to Australia, 6-2, in a match that saw them score the first two goals, the Young Filipinas beat Bangladesh, 3-1, on Friday to set up a do-or-die match against Vietnam, which only needed a draw to capture the Asian Cup berth.

“We left it all out on the field today,” said team captain Ariana Markey. “We put everything on the line. We're so excited to go to the Asian Cup.”
The Philippines is coached by Australian mentor Sinisha Cohadzic, who is also part of the seniors coaching staff after Mark Torcaso took over.
“We are proud of what the girls have achieved especially since it comes just a few months after the Filipinas also made history with a first-ever win in the Fifa Women’s World Cup,” said Philippine Football Federation president Mariano Araneta.
“We are extremely grateful of the sacrifices of the players and their families as well as the people behind the scenes, particularly team manager Jeff Cheng, whose support has been instrumental to the rise of women’s football in the past few years,” Araneta added.
The Philippines is joined in the 2024 AFC Under-17 Asian Cup to be held April 7 to 20 by host Indonesia, reigning champion Japan, 2019 runners-up North Korea, 2019 third-placers China, South Korea, Thailand, and Australia.
The Young Filipinas will also vie for one of the three spots in the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup next year in Dominican Republic.
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