The Philippine under-17 women’s national football team is set to test its mettle against some of Asia’s top teams after being drawn in a challenging Group C for the 2026 AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup in Suzhou, China, this May.

The young Filipinas will face reigning world champions Korea DPR, continental heavyweights Korea Republic, and Chinese Taipei, promising a tough group stage that will push the young squad to their limits.

Earning their spot in the tournament with an impressive qualifying campaign last October, sweeping Syria (5-0), Tajikistan (2-0), and Malaysia (4-0) without conceding a goal, this feat will mark their second consecutive appearance in the continental tournament.

In their debut Asian Cup, the team made a splash by defeating Indonesia 6-1 and holding 2010 World Cup champions South Korea to a 1-1 draw, showing glimpses of their potential.

Their only setback came against global powerhouse North Korea, who handed them a 6-0 defeat en route to claiming a record fourth U17 Women’s World Cup last year.

Chinese Taipei, meanwhile, returns to the Asian Cup for the first time in 11 years after overcoming Jordan and Bangladesh in last year’s qualifiers.

The two teams last faced each other in the 2015 Asian Cup qualifiers, where Chinese Taipei prevailed 5-2.

With a strong mix of experience and youth, the Filipinas U17 will look to build on last year’s breakthroughs and continue elevating the profile of women’s football in the Philippines on the continental stage.