Filipinas revive Asian Cup quarterfinal bid after 2-0 win vs Iran

March 9 ------ THE Filipinas revived their bid for quarterfinals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 after a 3-0 victory over Iran in their final group stage match in Gold Coast, Australia.

Goals by Sara Eggesvik in the 29th minute and Chandler McDaniel in the 82nd on a rainy night at the Gold Coast Stadium gave the Filipinas their first win of the tournament following losses to powerhouse teams Australia and South Korea. The win put the Filipinas in third place in Group A with three points as they wait for the results of the other two groups.

The best two third placers in the tournament will join the top two teams in each of the three groups in the quarterfinals where they will vie for six automatic berths allotted for the confederation in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The goal difference will likely decide who will be the best two third-placers.

The Philippines has an inside track as it currently has a goal difference of -2, second behind Group C third-placer Vietnam, which also has a win and 0 goal difference. It now awaits the result of clash between winless squads Bangladesh and Uzbekistan in the battle for third place in Group B on Monday. It nearly became 3-0 but a goal by McDaniel was reversed following a VAR.

Source: spin.ph