COACH Marlon Maro is confident that veterans Sarina Bolden and Quinley Quesada will be “99 percent” available to bolster the national women’s football squad that will pursue a historic FIFA Women’s World Cup slot in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup hosted by India in January next year.
“I can say now that these players will be 99 percent available for the AFC Women Asian Cup,” Maro said yesterday during the Philippine Sportswriters Association online forum, more than a week after the national booter swept their two Group F qualifying matches in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
They beat Nepal and Hong Kong by similar 2-1 counts to top their group and make it to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup scheduled from January 20 to Feb. 6, 2022 in the Indian cities of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune where six Women’s World Cup slots will be up for grabs.
Forwards Bolden and Quesada were with the Nationals during their training camp in Irvine, California but were forced to back out of the tournament after they were called by up their respective clubs in the inaugural Japanese Women’s Pro League.
“We will be talking to both of them tomorrow (Wednesday) and I believe that it’s a go for them. They were unable to join us in Uzbekistan because of the 14-day quarantine in Japan once they get back. So, there were reservations by their clubs,” Maro explained.
“But we have the commitment of their clubs that they will released for the Asian Cup since their season will be over by December,” he added.
Joining Maro in the public sports program supported by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Milo San Miguel Corp. Amelie Hotel and Braska Restaurant were assistant coach Apple Barinan and midfielder Rocelle Medano, who recounted their experiences in Tashkent.
Maro said the plan is to bring the entire squad to California by mid-November for training considering that conditions in the country are still far from ideal as the government continues to grapple with the pandemic.
“Bukas na sa US ngayon so it is easier to train there. So we are hoping that with the help of the United States Soccer Federation we will get visas for the rest of our Manila-based players and coaches so we will have one session as one,” he said.
Abrinan, who stayed with the locally-based players before being reunited with the team in Tashkent, echoed Maro’s sentiments “so we can all train together and be better for the Asian Cup.”
