Filipinas qualify for 2026 Women’s Asian Cup with 3 straight wins

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippine women’s national football team, also known as the Filipinas, booked a ticket to the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup after edging Hong Kong, 1–0, on Saturday evening at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Chandler McDaniel’s early goal proved decisive as the Filipinas capped a flawless run through Group G of the qualifiers.

They completed a dominant sweep in the qualifiers, beating Saudi Arabia in their opening match, 3–0, and Cambodia, 6–0, to finish with 10 total goals and nine points.

With the victory, the Filipinas join hosts Australia, as well as China PR, Japan, South Korea, and Bangladesh, among the nations already qualified for next year’s continental showpiece. The 2026 edition will also serve as the final qualifying phase for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

READ: Filipinas clobber Cambodia in AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers

McDaniel opened the scoring in the fourth minute after latching onto a loose ball inside the box and calmly finishing to give the Philippines the lead.

Hong Kong threatened midway through the first half, with Cheung Wai Ki testing goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel in the 20th minute. The Filipino shot-stopper made a crucial save to preserve the advantage heading into the break.

The Philippines nearly doubled their lead on multiple occasions, with Chandler McDaniel and Quinley Quezada coming close throughout the match.

To recall, the Filipinas reached the semifinals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2022, a historic run that led to their qualification for their maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance in 2023. /csl

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