The Philippines Women’s National Team held their training camp at J-GREEN Sakai in Osaka for eight days from Tuesday 20 March to Tuesday 27 March. The team played two training matches during their stay, in preparation for the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Jordan 2018 scheduled to kick off on Friday 6 April.

The results of the training-matches are as follow:

They have enjoyed their time off the pitch taking walks around the hotel and taking pictures. On Monday 26, the team visited sightseeing spots such as Osaka Castle, Minoh Park, Shinsaibashi and the outlet mall, where they were given the opportunity to experience the Japanese culture, enjoy the scenery of cherry blossoms and do some shopping. The players seemed to be relaxed for the whole period of their camp.

Coach’s and Players' Comments

Rabah Benlarbi, Coach
This camp has been very meaningful for us. The fact that we have managed to win matches against a college team and an adult team here in Japan, has helped us to gain confidence. Unfortunately, the weather was a little chilly while we were here, so we will make sure to protect ourselves against cold for our next trip to Japan. I am satisfied with the camp overall, as our players and staffs did a great job. During this week I was able to analyse the team thoroughly. I personally feel like I have gained so much, and I think our players feel the same way too. Japan has such great environment to play football, so we will be back for sure. I would like to thank our liaison for making all the arrangements for us, and the Japan Football Association (JFA) for making this camp all happen.

Inna Kristianne Palacios, Captain
The training camp in Japan was great. Everything was perfectly planned and all we had to do was to follow the schedule, which was designed to achieve our team goal. It allowed us to really focus on just playing football. The training facility and the meals that were served were great. The accommodation and all Japanese people we encountered were wonderful as well. We felt that time passed by so quickly because we were training under such an excellent environment. I can still vividly remember the scenery of the beautiful sunset we saw after our training. We truly enjoyed ourselves in the last day when we were given the opportunity to go out sightseeing. I can tell you that our entire team is happy. I would like to give my sincere gratitude to everybody who made this camp possible.

Patrice Mae Impelido, Player
This was my third time visiting Japan, and all the people welcomed us warmly. Our stay lasted for eight days, and we had such a great time. I was so impressed by the number of fields and its beautiful facilities at J-GREEN Sakai. During our stay, we played against a college team and an adult team, and the fact that we won both matches gave us great confidence. When we first arrived, it was very cold, but as days went by it got warmer. We got to visit the water falls at Minoh, Osaka Castle, and Dotonbori on our last day and we all had so much fun. We would like to thank everyone who got involved in this camp and has given us such great opportunity. Thank you very much.

Accepting teams from the AFC Member Associations to hold training camps in Japan

Upon receiving requests to hold training camps in Japan, JFA will make all arrangements including training-matches in efforts to support the strengthening of the national teams of the Member Associations.
For more information