Fatigue played a part with the Southeast Asian side having played to a penalty shootout against Chinese Taipei in the quarter-finals, but Stajcic only had praise for his side’s fighting spirit. 

“It was a very tough match,” said Stajcic. “Korea Republic were the better team and had more chances than we had. After 120 minutes in the last match, the players still fought right to the death."

“There’s an amazing amount of heart and courage in this group, and I’m proud of them. Everyone back home in the Philippines should be so proud of this group, who have come such a long way in such a short space of time. 

“We’ve got a team that had barely trained over the COVID period, and they came out here and put on that kind of effort and performance. To be able to run that much after such a short turnaround and that much energy against a top class team is truly phenomenal.”

The Philippines grew from strength to strength to finish second in a tough Group B that included 2010 champions Australia, Thailand and Indonesia, before taking down Chinese Taipei to also secure a maiden appearance in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023. 

“We create history almost every time we step on the field, there’s nothing more you can ask for. The bar and expectations for the country have been raised, and now everyone has to come on board. We must now prepare for the World Cup and ensure we do everything we can as a country to give these players a maximum possible chance to perform at that stage.”

Stajcic began working with the team in October 2021 and despite the short stint, his time with the Malditas has been his best coaching experience to date. 

“This is probably the best experience in my coaching career. I’ve been coaching for 20 years and to help this group of players, who are so dedicated, determined and (have) so much discipline, heart and spirit, considering what they have to overcome to get to this point. 

“I’ve never had to coach a group that had so many hurdles to overcome. To get at this level and to fight and compete up until the last kick of the semi-final is truly an experience. It’s been a wonderful experience getting to know every player and staff, it’s such a unified group.” 

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup only 18 months away, Stajcic believes India 2022 has imbued the team with the confidence and winning mentality to compete at the highest level. 

“I don’t think they truly believed that they could compete at this level before this tournament. The win against Thailand and to hold Australia 0-0 at halftime is an amazing feat. 

"To win two games in the tournament for the first time (in the group stage) and then qualify for the World Cup, there are so many special moments that added to the belief and confidence in this group."

“There’s a backbone of a really strong mentality in this group, and if you can build on that, there’s no doubt on what you can improve on. 

“You can’t replicate playing against all the teams. Thailand, who have been in two World Cups, Chinese Taipei, who are ranked above, Australia and Korea Republic, who have been perennial heavyweights in the AFC for a long time. 

“The speed, tempo and technique of these players are phenomenal. But for us to play against players like Ji (So-yun), who is probably my top five in the world, is just a phenomenal experience for our players.”