The Philippines braces for impact in the Asian Football Confederation U17 Women’s Asian Cup in Suzhou, China scheduled 1 to 17 May.

But team manager Selu Lozano swears they are not intimidated by the challenge of having North Korea, South Korea and Chinese Taipei in Group C.

The Filipinas will face South Korea first on 2 May at the Suzhou Taihu Football Sports Centre.

“DPR Korea represents the highest standard in this age group. For us, that’s not something to fear, it’s something to study,” Lozano said.

“We’re glad to be in this group. If our objective is to take the Philippines as far as possible, we have to measure ourselves against the very best,” Lozano said.

Only the semifinalists of the Asian Cup will earn slots for the 2027 FIFA U17 World Cup in Morocco.

The Filipinas look to improve from its previous outing in 2024 where they finished with a 1-1-1 win-draw-loss record in Indonesia.

More than just vying for glory in this prestigious Asian tournament, Lozano sees it as a chance for the girls to improve their skills before getting called up for the senior squad.

“When you clearly understand what the top level looks like, and you honestly understand where you are, that’s when real building begins,” Lozano stressed. 

“This program is not about one tournament. It’s about a 10, 20, even 30-year strategy to close the gap and raise our standard sustainably. In the short term, we compete to advance. In the long term, we build to belong.”