Pasok Na! Filipinas Snag Last Quarterfinal Slot in AFC Women's Asian Cup

The Philippine women's national football team is moving on to the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup — but they had to wait for Japan to do the heavy lifting first.

After finishing third in Group A with a 1-2 record, the Filipinas needed other results to go their way. On Tuesday, March 10, Japan obliged by crushing Vietnam 4-0, which knocked the Vietnamese out on goal difference. The Philippines and Uzbekistan advanced as the two best third-placed teams, both with -2 goal difference compared to Vietnam's -4.

It was a rollercoaster group stage for the Filipinas. They dropped their first two matches — a 1-0 loss to host Australia and a 3-0 defeat to South Korea — before turning things around with a crucial 2-0 victory over Iran on March 8. Sara Eggesvik and Chandler McDaniel scored the goals that kept their tournament alive.

Now comes the hard part: the Filipinas will face world No. 8 Japan in the quarterfinals on March 15 at Stadium Australia in Sydney. Japan has been absolutely dominant, winning all three group matches without conceding a single goal. Ang laban talaga nito.

But there's a safety net: even if the Philippines loses to Japan, they still have a chance to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup through a play-in match against the loser of the South Korea vs. Uzbekistan quarterfinal. The team is eyeing their second World Cup appearance after their historic debut in the 2023 edition.

Source: Rappler