The Philippine Women's National Football Team (PWNFT) wrapped up their Pink Ladies Week campaign with a 4-1 loss to 151st-ranked Kenya.
After a promising start against Jordan, the the Philippine Women's National Team wrapped up Pink Ladies Week in Turkiye with a 4-1 loss to Kenya, highlighting both progress and the ongoing development process under head coach Mark Torcaso’s new system.
Torcaso acknowledged the disappointment but stressed the importance of patience, explaining that while the squad showed promise in adapting to a new playing style, the shift requires more time to mature.
"It’s disappointing because the girls responded well all week to learning a new system and style, but we didn’t fully execute today,” Torcaso noted. “There were individual errors—moments that the players know they can handle better.”
Two goals conceded in the first half saw the Filipinas pressing further, trying to find that breakthrough goal and spark a comeback.
In the 66th minute, the 39th-ranked squad finally got their goal after a penalty kick by Sarina Bolden.
However, Kenya continued to pile on the pressure and capitalized on the Filipinas' mistakes for two more goals to seal the victory.
While the Filipinas were tactically prepared for Kenya's quality, critical errors during key moments led to missed opportunities.
“We didn't underestimate them at all. We knew that they were gonna be a good side. I just felt like we approached the game with just some player errors during moments that were key and it caused us a few little problems in the end and we'll be better for that,” said Torcaso.
Despite the loss to the 151th-ranked Kenyans, Torcasa believes the match offered valuable lessons, understanding that his system will lead to long-term gains.
“This is going to take more than just four or five days; it’s a process that will take months. We need time with these players to really settle into the new approach,” Torcaso emphasized.
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Looking forward to future fixtures, Torcaso expressed optimism about the team’s growth trajectory, especially as they head back to the Philippines.
“The more time that we get with them, the better we'll be. There's no doubt that the opposition came out physically much more determined to win that game than us, but I've got no doubt that we'll bounce back and our girls will be fantastic when we come to Manila in November,” said Torcaso.
(With reports from Luisa Morales, One Sports Digital)