AUCKLAND. – Still basking in the afterglow of their historic and memorable debut in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Filipinas coach Alen Stajcic expressed the hope that their experience had sown the seeds to make the “beautiful game” flourish back in the Philippines once again.
“I hope we have planted the seeds of future generations in wanting to become footballers and national team players and do what these girls have done this week,” the Australian coach said during the post-match press conference Sunday after his wards lost 0-6 to Norway at Eden Park to exit the competition.
“It is a good first step but you know there has lot of things that have to happen to sustain it because we are starting many miles back in reality,” stressed Stajcic of the monumental requirements in building on the team’s success in boosting the sport back home.
“We were in our first World Cup and won a game. But we come from a hundred lengths back behind all of the other footballing countries with so much pedigree, so much history and so much investment in women’s football,” he pointed out.
“It (the Filipinas’ success) is just the tip of the iceberg. So it is up to the Philippine Football Federation leadership to continue their legacy.”
He mentioned a couple of the tasks needed to sustain the Filipinas’ gains.
“We can go through a whole spectrum of things that need to happen to grow at this point.
They need to continue to invest in grassroots programs across the Philippines,” he said.
“There is a million of things. You need to invest in the national youth team. You need to invest in grassroots programs and domestic leagues. Centers of excellence all across the Philippines where boys and girls can play,” he added.
“It (the Philippines) is a country of 110 million people who love basketball but we need to convert some of those young kids into football. (With proper training) I am sure just like other Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand where football has been played over a long period of time, they can become technically very good players and have good national players. Not just flash in the pan,” Stajcic elaborated.
“We can talk for hours and days on what needs to be done, that is really up to the leadership of the PFF. I know that they got elections in November. It is a big mantle but I think we have given them a good headstart and something that they can build on now,” he said.
“What you have here is the starting point of a new history. One where these players, I hope, can inspire a new generation of boys and girls to look at football in the way that we all do the beautiful game,” the Aussie tactician concluded.
