“Look who we are; we are the dreamers,
we make it happen ‘cuz we believe it….”
The Malditas, Philippines’ national women’s football team, qualifies for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, following their win against the team representing Chinese Taipei in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup in India.
This feat is historic for the entire Philippine nation as it is the FIRST time that the country’s women representatives entered the official line-up for the esteemed tournament. This achievement, however, didn’t happen overnight. It took years in the making, matched with losses, pains, sacrifices, hopes, and dreams that built and strengthened the team through the years. In that light, let’s all take a look back at the rollercoaster of a journey that the Filipinas underwent which got them to where they are today.
Early years of PWNT
The establishment of the Philippine Ladies’ Football Association (PLFA) by Cristina Ramos paved the way for the institutionalization of the Philippines Women’s National Team (PWNT) in 1980.
Within three years of activity, PWNT acquired their first major championship in the 1983 Asian Women’s Championship (presently the Asia Cup). The team continued to do so well that they could qualify for the AFC Women’s Championship in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003. Unfortunately, they never got past the “group rounds” in these tournaments.
The team also competed in the 1985 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, concluding with a bronze but clinching their first and only podium finish following matches against Thailand and Singapore.
The winding road to victory
Fast forward to 2018, when the team finally overcame the “group stage” in the 2018 AFC Women’s Asia Cup in Jordan. They, however, fell behind China and Thailand, placing third in the competition. In the Asia Cup tournament the following year, the team finally advanced to the semi-finals for the first time.
The “Malditas” also tried to qualify for the 2019 FIFA World Cup but lost against South Korea, placing sixth in the knockout stage. The team also pushed for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which our country hosted, but lost to Myanmar in the bronze medal match and eventually placed fourth in the biennial meet. Despite these losses, the Philippines put 65th in the FIFA Women’s World Ranking in 2020.
Come 2022 when they finally qualified for the semi-finals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in India. Another Philippine-South Korean face-off occurred, ending with another loss for the former.
2023 FIFA World Cup qualification
Just days before this loss, however, the Philippine team had already secured a spot in the team line-up for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in our history. The team’s game against Chinese Taipei, which concluded with a 4-3 win on penalties in favor of the Philippines, bore a fantastic outcome, with the Maldita’s ranking rising to 53rd in the world.
The “Malditas” then joined Group A in the official draw for the 2023 World Cup held last October 22, alongside host country New Zealand (Rank 21), Switzerland (Rank 22), and Norway (Rank 12). They were able to doge football powerhouses from the USA (Rank 1), Sweden (Rank 2), Germany (Rank 3), England (Rank 4), and France (Rank 5) in the “group rounds.”
As per Philippine Football Federation (PFF), this increases the team’s chance of qualifying for the knockouts, with Norway being their biggest challenge. Placing within the Top 2 spots will guarantee the team a pass onto the next stage. To encourage this possibility, PFF is allotting a whopping $2M – $3M budget, which encompasses all the necessary preparations for the 2023 World Cup.
Game on!
The 2023 World Cup campaign of the “Malditas” includes “10 friendlies” before the tournament. Such friendly matches against fellow participants will enable the team to gauge their play, strengths, and weaknesses and formulate corresponding techniques and game plans that could accommodate all possible factors.
The Philippine team already concluded two friendlies in Costa Rica in October and another with the experienced Chile team in November. The campaign is underway until the commencement of the World Cup tournament on July 20 to August 20, 2023.
The “group rounds” will be first held in Dunedin, where the team will have an acid-test face-off against the Swiss team on July 21 of next year. Following this is the shift to Wellington for a game against the Kiwis on July 26. The same area will host the final group match for the team against the Norwegians on July 30.
This is the story of the Filipina players who wore their hearts on their sleeves. They had a dream and a goal which they used to get to the pedestal they are currently on. They spent all their blood, sweat, and tears, and the outcome was fruitful. Indeed, they still have a long way to go, but they’re headed in the right direction.
Their history is only beginning to write its course. They have proven to the entire world that they are indeed a team to be reckoned with. So, Filipinos assemble, and let’s all support these extraordinary ladies!
