They narrowly beat Hong Kong two years ago.
The Philippine Women’s National Football Team has done pretty well in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. In Pool E, the Filipinas have already shown their muscle in the first round, handing Pakistan a 4-0 loss last Wednesday and dominating Tajikistan, 8-0 on Saturday.
To reach the next round, the Filipinas must handle their business against Hong Kong tonight at 7 p.m. at the Hisor Stadium in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Both squads are undefeated after wins over the 161st-ranked Pakistan and the 144th-ranked Tajikistan. It’s the Philippines, however, who’s on top of Pool E via goal difference. That said, world no. 79 Hong Kong is expected to be the toughest challenger in the group for the Filipinas.
Almost two years ago, the Philippines and Hong Kong met in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifying Tournament, which resulted in a tight 2-1 victory for the Filipinas. Coach Alen Stajcic understands that his wards must bring their A-game against Hong Kong anew.
“It was only 18 months ago that we scraped to a 2-1 win to qualify for the Asian Cup so we have to treat them [Hong Kong] with a lot of respect,” Stajcic said, as quoted by the Philippine Football Federation. “It could have easily been Hong Kong making it to the Asian Cup so we know that it is going to be a tricky assignment.”
Since their last encounter, the Filipinas have shown tremendous growth. While Stajcic believes that they need to be on their toes, he’s also confident about his players’ ability to play winning football.
“It will be a tough game, a very close game, but if we play well, I’m confident we can get the job done,” the Australian mentor said.
The Filipinas have a key advantage in this match, as they only need a draw against Hong Kong to advance. If the Filipinas rise to the occasion, they will join other top teams from round one, along with the seeded squads like North Korea, Japan, Australia, China, and South Korea in the next stage.