Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Manila: Dushanbe, Tajikistan is an unlikely destination for a Filipino sporting triumph, but it provided the backdrop for a career-defining achievement for Patrice Impelido and her Philippines women’s national teammates, as they reached the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
On a freezing April afternoon, a come-from-behind 1-1 draw against Bahrain was enough to confirm that the Malditas had defied history to successfully navigate the qualifying tournament for the first time.
The nation had appeared in the tournament before, even hosting in 1999, but not since the AFC Women’s Asian Cup was re-formatted to include qualifiers following the 2003 edition had the Philippines been present alongside Asia’s best.