Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 23) — Australian Mark Torcaso will now call the shots for the Philippine national women’s football team, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) announced Wednesday.
Torcaso will replace Alen Stajcic, who led the Filipinas to a historic run at the recently concluded 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The 42-year-old football coach is the reigning A-League Women Coach of the Year after leading Melbourne-based club Western United to the grand finals in its inaugural Australian league season early this year.
\”It is important that we continue the momentum from the Filipinas’ historic FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign in New Zealand,” said PFF general secretary Edwin Gastanes in a statement.
“We have a motivated and accomplished coach in Mark Torcaso together with his staff, ready to lead our women’s teams in upcoming competitions,” he added.
Fellow Australian Sinisha Cohadzic will serve as assistant coach for the Filipinas and head coach for the Philippine national teams for girls’ Under-17 and women’s Under-20.
Meanwhile, retired New Zealand football player Andrew Durante, who is also part of Western United’s coaching staff, will also join Torcaso as assistant coach for the Filipinas.
“Watching the development of the team over the last couple of years has been amazing, from the AFF Championship to the World Cup, and I feel honored to be able to try to continue this growth,” Torcaso said in a statement.
“I am excited to take on this opportunity and I can’t wait to meet the players and the other staff in camp next week. I look forward to the challenge alongside Sinisha and Andrew,\” he added.
Torcaso’s first test as Filipinas new head coach is the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September and the AFC Olympic Qualifiers in Perth, Australia in October.
