MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine women’s futsal team has tapped a new foreign coach, on top of new core players for the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from January 11 to 19, 2025.
Following the unceremonious removal of former head coach Vic Hermans over the holidays, the national squad named Spanish tactician Rafa Merino to lead the Philippines in the upcoming tournaments ahead of the country’s hosting of the Women’s Futsal World Cup from November 21 to December 7 this year.
Meanwhile, Isabella Flanigan, and Katrina Guillou, who both played for the vaunted Filipinas in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, have been added to the futsal squad, fortifying the roster, which mostly had homegrown players under Hermans.
“I am honored to lead this team and aim to build a competitive, unified squad for the qualifiers,” said Merino, who has been with the team over the last two weeks, in Spanish at the team’s send-off party in Studio 300 on Tuesday, January 7.
“There’s a good ambiance in the team, the vibe is very good. We all work for each other,” Merino added.
Apart from Flanigan and Guillou, the team will be having a mix of homegrown and foreign talents in their 14-woman roster for the qualifiers.
These include Sheen Borres, Shelah Mae Cadag, Sara Castañeda, Judy Connolly, Alisha Del Campo, Cathrine Graversen, Samantha Hughes, Rocelle Mendaño, Vrendelle Nuera, Regine Rebosora, Kayla Santiago, and Dionesa Tolentin.
According to Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President John Gutierrez, the players were selected from a talent camp held from December 26 to 30.
It was a new look for the squad formerly known as the Pinay5, following the Hermans and former team manager Danny Moran’s departure.
Under Hermans, the squad finished dead last in the ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship held in the country, which, in part, led to the futsal team’s overhaul.
“I want to thank first the sacrifice that these women have made, training through the holiday season. Again, being Filipinos, it’s no small thing for us to spend time away from the family during the holidays,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez refused to answer questions about the team’s program transition. He wants to instead focus on the task at hand to shield the team from distractions ahead of the qualifiers.
The Philippines will face Kuwait, host Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Australia in Group C of the Asian Cup qualifiers.
Now, with a new squad, the Philippines hopes to see success right from the get-go on their trip to futsal powerhouse Uzbekistan.
“Not to put pressure or any more weight on the girls and the coaching staff, we expect to win that group. We expect to qualify for the AFC Championship in China,” Gutierrez said.
The country will be taking on Kuwait on Saturday, January 12, 2 am, Manila time to kickstart their campaign before facing Uzbekistan on the 13th, Turkmenistan on the 15th, and Australia on the 19th.
The Philippines needs to finish in the top two of the group or have the best third-place record in the tournament to advance to the Asian Cup, where the top three teams will enter the World Cup.
By virtue of being the hosts, the country has automatically clinched a spot in the World Cup. – Rappler.com