A key cog in the Philippine Women’s National Football Team has announced her retirement, as Tahnai Annis is set to leave the sport at 35 years old.
During an interview with Futbol Brew’s Venice Furio, Annis made sure to get her message across, after admitting that it would’ve been hard for her to form the words and have the conversation of her retirement on her own.
A close friend of the Filipinas, Furio had a special episode dedicated to Annis’ retirement, which lasted almost two hours.
“I guess the reason behind wanting to get on here again with you [is] because I’m not very good at taking videos of myself or manufacturing something like that so I thought this podcast, this conversation with you would be a good way to to dive into and unpack my announcement of retiring from international and professional football,” said Annis.
Annis, who has captained the Filipinas in numerous tournaments, said that she measured herself from the beginning of 2024, as she tried to get a feel of her body after years of playing for club and country.
But after much reflection on her different states — that is, more than just the physical aspect — Annis believed that it was time to go on her own terms.
“Yeah, it’s a big announcement for me. It’s something that over the past months, I knew was going to need to be a conversation,” said Annis.
“But I’m happy to be on this side of it and kind of coming to that on my own terms and getting to share a little bit about what that looks like and how that’s been for me into coming to make this decision,” she added.
Primarily, it was her age that drove Annis to her decision, having played for the Filipinas since 2018.
“I don’t think it’s any secret how old I am and it’s not just because I’m much older as a footballer. I think my body, my mind and kind of, my spirit is just come to a point where it’s all in alignment that it’s time for me to step away,” said Annis.
Annis bared that it was hardly an easy decision, especially considering the positive direction that women’s football in general has been going in during the past few years.
Having been witness to the growth of the sport in the Philippines, especially, Annis said that it was unfortunate, but necessary, that she now observes the future of Philippine football from the sidelines.
“Obviously, if I felt that I could continue at the level that’s necessary to compete at an international and even professional level at this point, I definitely would want to continue on. Because, especially, you know, over the last few years how much our national team has accomplished and continues to progress. Especially, just the layout of women’s football all over the world is finally getting its time, I feel like,” said Annis.
“It’s finally starting to break out and just really elevate. To know that that’s happening right now, is like that’s the part where it’s just like, I’ve been playing like back and forth, push and pull, you can do it… There’s so many exciting opportunities happening right now.”
Annis was the captain of the Filipinas during their title run in the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship, and she was also part of the Filipinas squad that saw action in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
But as 2024 began, Annis said that she felt the need to listen to her body sooner rather than later, and as she came to terms with her future, she felt that it was time to go.
“I think what also kind of started to have that writing on the wall for me was at the beginning of this year, I definitely told myself and those around me that I would take this year as it came, like month by month, window by window. Like if I was still feeling good, if I was still fully in it, progressing the way that I’d hope, that we would keep going. Just like go from there,” she said.
“And I was feeling pretty good in the beginning of the year, and then, I think once the international windows started popping up and was traveling more, it started to really feel it in my body and then when I was being approached, or getting asked about certain opportunities that you know I would’ve been over the moon about, I had to kind of really had those harder conversations with myself and be real with myself.
Absolutely they were exciting and I wanted to be a part of it, but there was still so much pause when I was having these conversations with potential teams, or agents, and things like that.” she added.
During her time with the Filipinas, Annis had 43 caps and a total of 14 goals.
In her professional career, she played with Icelandic side Por/KA of the country’s top-flight women’s football league.