THE Filipinas will definitely have a chance to defend the Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship this year with the announcement in Singapore yesterday that the tournament will push through as the Asean-MSIG Serenity Cup.
“There is always pressure whether you’re coming in as the defending champion or to try to take the championship from someone else. My team especially, we try to live in the pressure,” said Filipinas goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel, who was present during the event at the MSIG regional office in Singapore.
“It is such a privilege in such a high stakes (event) like this and a privilege to play against such amazing players. We look forward to defending the title for sure and we are going up against such great competition. It is going to be tough,” she added.
The Nationals will try to retain the crown – the first major international football title won by the country – they won in 2022 at the historic Rizal Memorial Stadium, whipping four-time champ Thailand 3-0 for the title.
Ten squads are set to compete in the regional women’s football showcase in June in Indonesia, including Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Singapore.
Australia, which fielded its under-23 squad three years ago, has yet to confirm whether it is sending the Matildas, the senior squad, while Jordan and Russia have been invited as guest teams.
The schedule likewise fits in nicely with the preparation of the Filipinas for the qualifiers for the 2026 Asian Cup in Australia that will be held in July.
AFF president Khiev Sameth said the squads will be divided into two groups in the preliminaries, while the draw is set to be announced later.
“Football matches with our corporate values, so it is a perfect fit for our brand,” said MSIG-Asia CEO Clemens Philippi, who plays the game. “It is a really a moment of pride for us as we show our commitment to women’s football.
“Football is built on various attributes and points of strengths. one is resilience, the other is team play, the other one is fair play together with teamwork. These are the attributes that make football great and we also have in MSIG,” Philippi noted.
