The Philippines will be put to the test as it goes up against Poland on Friday night in the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup at the Philsports Complex in Pasig City.

Kick-off is at 8:30 p.m. as the Filipina5 will be making its debut in the first-ever Futsal World Cup.

The Philippines will have a tough task as it is in Group A along with Argentina and Morocco, and of course, Poland.

To ensure the Filipina5 would be prepared, they underwent a two-week training camp in Spain, competing against several squads from 29 October to 11 November.

Samantha Hughes, Kayla Santiago, Catherine Graversen, Judy Connolly, Jaclyn Sawicki, Charisa Lemoran, Rocelle Medano, Dionesa Tolentin, Alisha Del Campo, Isabella Flanigan, Lanie Ortillo, Regine Rebosora, Katrina Guillou and Isabella Bandoja will be representing the country as they defend home court.

For Tolentin, she swears that they are not intimidated with the Polish as they vow to make things hard for the visitors.

“This is definitely a tough but challenging group, but we’ll work and train hard to show what we’re capable of. This Filipina team may be new, but we have the grit and eagerness to learn new things every day,” Tolentin said.

“Our goal is to win. We want to perform well, show that we may be new, but we have something to prove. Hopefully our performances can inspire young girls who have hopes of becoming futsal players.”

Polish defender Klaudia Kubaszek is excited to test her mettle against the Philippines as they look to get an early win.

“The closer we get to the match, the more excited we are. There’s a lot of energy and enthusiasm in the team, combined with a strong focus on our preparation,” said Kubaszek, who plays for Soccer Altamura in Italy.

The event has lured the participation of 15 other squads.

Action in futsal showpiece unwraps with an explosive double-header in Group A. World No. 6 Argentina and 31st-ranked Morocco kick things off at 6 p.m.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino and other dignitaries will be in attendance.

Sports executives are upbeat about the country’s performance, as hosts and competitors.

“We’re ready. One thing’s for sure, we belong here. We’re not going out there just to be able to compete; we’re going out there to win,” said Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez.      

“I have a strong feeling that we will win because on home court the Filipino heart beats faster. That is the magic of sports tourism,” said Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio. “We thank FIFA for this historic partnership and the Department of Tourism for believing in sports as a window for the world to see the Philippines.”