Quinley Quezada is looking forward to seeing how the national women’s football team will perform in next month’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers despite a lengthy hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pinay booters have been training feverishly in California under the tutelage of new coach Marlon Maro in preparation for the continental qualifiers in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the team’s first campaign since placing fourth in the Southeast Asian Games at home.
“My expectations for this upcoming tournament is to obviously win two games so we can qualify,” Quezada said in a video posted by the Philippine Football Federation on its official Facebook page.
“Our team has been dealing with adversity just with the Covid situation and getting a new coaching staff and now being able to train for a year, so I’m excited to see how we can come together and perform in this tournament,” added Quezada.
The Philippines will take on Nepal on Sept. 18 and Hong Kong on Sept. 24 for a chance to top Group F of the qualifiers and claim a berth to the Asian Cup which will be hosted next year by India.
The Asian Cup will also serve as a qualifier for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with five direct slots and two playoff seats allotted.