Palacios, del Campo banner Filipina booters in Women's Asian Cup qualifiers

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine women's team mainstays Inna Palacios and Alisha del Campo will lead the squad in the upcoming 2022 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers beginning Saturday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Palacios will skipper the team in their first taste of action since the 2019 Southeast Asian Games held in Manila.

The Philippines is grouped with Nepal and Hong Kong in the qualifiers in Group F.

Nepal and Hong Kong, 101st and 78th in the FIFA World Rankings, respectively, are placed lower than the Philippines, which is at No. 68.

Joining Palacios and del Campo are co-captain Hali Long, Chelo Hodges, Tara Shelton, Patricia Tomanon, Sara Castaneda, Charisa Lemoran and Camille Rodriguez, who have all seen action in the 2019 SEA Games.

Returnees Jessica Miclat, Camille Wilson, Rocelle Mendano, Anicka Castaneda, Tahnai Annis, Sofia Harrison and Ryley Bugay will also join the team in Uzbekistan.

Rounding up the 22-woman squad are first-timers Olivia Davies McDaniel, Malea Cesar, Alyssa Ube, Chandler McDaniel, and youth team products Arianna Lepage and Isabelle Mapanao.

The roster was announced on Monday.

The Filipina booters will enter the tournament with a new head coach in Marlon Maro.

Let Dimzon called the shots for the national team in 2019.

The Philippines will begin its campaign at 6 p.m. Saturday (Manila time) against Nepal at the JAR Stadium. They play again on September 24 against Hong Kong, also at 6 p.m. Manila time.

The team is fresh from a month-long training camp in California in preparation for the tournament.