By MARK REY MONTEJO
The Philippine women’s and men’s football teams face a daunting task at the 20th Asian Games in Japan this September after landing in tough groups during the tournament draw.
The Filipinas, who are competing in their second straight Asian Games appearance, are bracketed in Group G where they will be up against three-time champion and last edition’s bronze medalist China, Uzbekistan and Hong Kong.
However, they will enter the tournament brimming with confidence after punching their ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil and winning a historic first gold medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
In the 2022 Asiad edition in Hangzhou, the Filipinas finished seventh, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Japan.
Reigning champion Japan banners Group E along with Chinese Taipei, Vietnam and Thailand, while Group F has South Korea, North Korea, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
Meanwhile, the PH men’s team is bracketed in Group C alongside Vietnam, four-time podium finisher Kuwait and last edition’s bronze winner Uzbekistan.
Ranked No. 135 in the FIFA world rankings, the Nationals return to the Asian Games for the first time since the 1974 edition in Tehran, Iran, marking their fifth appearance in the quadrennial event.
Reigning three-time champion South Korea is in Group D with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, while last edition’s silver medalist Japan is in Group A alongside Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, and Hong Kong.
Group B is composed of China, United Arab Emirates, Iran and North Korea.
The men’s tournament will be held from Sept. 15 to Oct. 3, while the women’s competition runs from Sept. 14 to Oct. 2. Both tournaments begin with a group-stage format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals, bronze-medal match, and final.
