MANILA, Philippines — Philippine women's national football team head coach Alen Stajcic knows there will be much on the minds of his players when they face Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals of the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup on Sunday.
That is, they have the chance to make history and qualify to the country's first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup.
The sheer significance of the game can make any team fold under the pressure, but Stajcic believes it's not just the Filipinas who will be feeling the tension.
"I think for both teams there's pressure... I know [Chinese Taipei] were a super power in the 80s in the early, early parts of international women's football but they haven't been in the World Cup for a long time and the Philippines have never been. So I think every player on the field will have nerves and that's normal," Stajcic said after the Philippines' 6-0 win over Indonesia on Thursday to clinch the quarterfinals spot.
"The team that handles the nerves better will probably start better, but that doesn't mean you finish better. I think it's going to be a really even game," he added.
Stajcic's squad in India has been making history already throughout the tournament with records broken like getting their biggest win, winning their most games, and getting out of the group stage for the first time in the regional tournament.
Now with just a game standing in the way of the Philippines and the FIFA Women's World Cup, the Filipina booters will definitely try to shatter the glass ceiling anew.
Their Aussie mentor doesn't expect anything to come easy though.
As his team has learned to surprise everyone with their performance in India, so have Chinese Taipei.
"Both teams have showed good qualities throughout the tournament. I think Chinese Taipei were excellent against Iran last [Wednesday]," Stajcic said with their foes on Sunday bludgeoning Iran, 5-0.
"So, I think it's [going to be] a spectacular game and what an unbelievable occassion for both countries to join the next FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand," he added.
Philippines vs World No. 39 Chinese Taipei kicks off Sunday at 10 p.m., Manila time.
The loser of the match will still have a chance to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup in the repechage.