Filipinas captain Hali Long, forward Tolentin make ASEAN 2025 Best XI

Philippine skipper Hali Long and star striker Dionesa Tolentin earned spots in the Best XI of the 2025 ASEAN Women’s Championship – MSIG Serenity Cup.

They were the only Filipinas to make the cut, a strong statement for women’s football in a country where basketball and volleyball still dominate the spotlight and funding.

Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president John Anthony Gutierrez praised the duo in an official statement.

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“Congratulations to captain Hali Long and rising star Inday Tolentin for being part of the Best XI of the ASEAN Women’s Championship. Both of you deserve this award. Hali, with her leadership, tenacity on defense, and consistent scoring ability, helped in lifting the Filipinas from the minnows to playing in the World Cup. Inday is an inspiration for homegrown athletes, making her mark in the collegiate, club, and international levels both in football and futsal,” Gutierrez said.

Kaya Women stepping up big for the PWNFT! 🙌

In the win over Timor-Leste, Hali Long netted her 22nd goal for the country, while POTM Inday Tolentin scored her maiden goal—and turned it into a brace! 🔥🇵🇭

📸: Laban Filipinas | #UnaKaya🟡⚫️ pic.twitter.com/5Q33rE1odN

— Kaya Futbol Club (@KayaFC) August 9, 2025

Long remains the rock of the Filipinas’ defense. With 96 caps in nine years, she is the team’s longest-serving and most-capped active player. The 30-year-old, who also holds U.S. citizenship, has been part of the Filipinas’ journey from the 2017 SEA Games all the way to their historic 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup debut.

She recently suited up for Thailand’s College of Asian Scholars in the 2025-26 AFC Women’s Asian Champions League and continues to lead Kaya-Iloilo F.C. as captain.

Tolentin, meanwhile, is one of the brightest young talents in Philippine football. She first donned the national colors at the 2019 AFF Women’s Championship and netted her first two international goals in the Filipinas’ win over Timor-Leste in this year’s ASEAN Women’s tilt.

At just 25, she’s also a dual-sport standout. Tolentin opened her futsal scoring account in the Philippines’ debut at the 2025 AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup qualifiers.

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