VANCOUVER, BC (February 20, 2025) - Vancouver Rise FC announced today that defender Jessika Cowart has been called up to the Philippines Women’s National Team for the upcoming 2026 Asian Cup.  

Cowart, 26, has been a staple for the Philippines’ backline, making 45 appearances since 2022. She most recently played every match for the Philippines in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, where she helped the team claim their first gold medal after defeating Vietnam on penalties in the final. At the club level, she enters the tournament in strong form following a championship season with Vancouver Rise FC, where she started every playoff match, including the NSL Final, and earned the club’s 2025 Defensive MVP honours. She now joins the Philippines squad as they look to capture their first AFC Women’s Asian Cup title. 

The Asian Cup is a quadrennial international football tournament in Asia comprising all the women's national teams in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The 2026 edition will be hosted in Australia and will go from March 1 to March 21. This marks the Philippines’ 11th appearance in the tournament, with their strongest performance coming in 2024 when they advanced to the semi-finals.  

The Philippines kick-off the tournament against hosts Australia on March 1 at Perth Stadium at 5pm local / 1am PT. They then will look for redemption for the 2024 semifinals against South Korea on March 5 at Gold Coast Stadium at 1pm local / March 4 at 7pm PT. The Philippines will then round out the group stages facing Iran at Gold Coast Stadium on March 8 at 7pm local / 1am PT.