Much has been said of the impact the Australian coach Alen Stajcic has had on the Philippine women's national team, as the Filipinas continue to make history in their AFC Women's Asian Cup campaign.

Stajcic, 48, took over the Philippine team in late October, just as they were beginning to prepare for the continental tournament in India. They embarked in a two-month camp in Irvine, California in November, before traveling to India for the Women's Asian Cup.

There, the results of their intensive training immediately translated into results, with a first-ever win against Southeast Asian rivals Thailand in their first game of the tournament. The Filipinas went on to test Australia before losing, 0-4, then registered a 6-0 rout of Indonesia to secure their place in the knockout round.

• READ: Philippines books quarterfinals seat
• READ: Pinays 'outstanding' despite loss to Aussies
• READ: For Pinays, win against Thailand just the first step

It was there that they claimed the biggest win in Philippine football history, beating Chinese Taipei 4-3 on penalties to secure a spot in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.

• MATCH REPORT: History made as Filipinas advance to FIFA Women's World Cup

"Ang coaching staff na ito is the missing piece of the puzzle that can bring the team to the next level," said Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President Mariano "Nonong" Araneta of the work done by Stajcic during Tuesday's Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.

That the Philippine women's team had potential was without question, after they came one win short of qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in 2018. But translating their potential to actual results was a different challenge entirely, and Araneta praised Stajcic for getting the job done.

"We needed that kind of coaching that can really instill in the players the confidence to compete with the best in the world. And I think Coach Alen and [his] staff have done that," he said. "We have seen the results."

But Stajcic has regularly deflected credit for the achievements of the Philippine women's team, pointing out that he has "only been here for five minutes."

"In a team, there's a coach, there's an assistant coach, there's a medical staff and players and managers, and we're just one cog in the whole wheel, and everyone's played their part," Stajcic said after the Philippines punched their ticket to the FIFA Women's World Cup.

"And I've only been here for five minutes, to be honest. There's so many people that I know that would have contributed to this team along the way over the last ten years, eight years, seven years, five years, and they all know who they are," he added.

"The players know who they are, whether it's their family, whether it's their friends, whether it's previous coaches. That's all a testament to the hard work that's been done by everyone. Not me, who's come in in the last five minutes," he said.

• READ: PFF determined to retain Stajcic for World Cup campaign

Stajcic's hiring as Philippines coach had made waves, given his achievements in women's football. He had previously coached Australia's national team, the Matildas, and led them to the FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 and the Rio Olympics in 2016. Several of the current players in Australia, including striker Sam Kerr, flourished under his guidance.

But Stajcic was sacked under secretive, contentious circumstances in early 2019, after which he took over as coach of the Central Coast Mariners, a club in Australia's A-League. His hiring by the PFF marked his return to international women's football.

"Hopefully, I've helped and added value [to the team]," he said. "And I think we've worked really hard as a group, but for this to happen, it doesn't happen overnight."

"So, you know, full credit to the whole country, to the PFF, and everyone who's put in the effort towards any of these players over the last period of time," he added.

The job is far from done in India for the women's team, as they are set to play South Korea in the semifinal on Thursday. In the moments immediately after their victory against Chinese Taipei, Stajcic had been reluctant to discuss the match, instead opting to focus on hailing the achievement of his players.

But speaking to Andrei Felix on CNN Philippines' Sports Desk on Tuesday, Stajcic said they must now renew their focus against an "extremely tough opponent." South Korea is ranked 18th in the world, and pulled off an upset against Australia in the quarterfinals.

"It's a difficult challenge in terms of mindset. Are we gonna say that that's enough, or are we gonna push ahead and really strive and go that one step forward, one massive step forward into trying to beat one of the superpowers of Asian football?" said Stajcic.

"So you know, a lot to talk about in the next day or two with the group, and really resetting that mentality and that focus for this next match."

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