The Philippine women’s national football team is quickly turning the page after a narrow opening‑day setback in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, shifting its attention to another heavyweight opponent.
The Filipinas are now bound for the Gold Coast, where they face South Korea on Thursday at Cbus Super Stadium.
Their campaign began with a hard‑fought 1–0 loss to host nation Australia last Sunday. Sam Kerr broke through in the 14th minute, but the Filipinas held firm the rest of the way, frustrating the world No. 15 side with disciplined defending.
“This is credit to the hard work the girls have put in—not just in the last month, but over the past year—to get to this point, to where we want to get into another World Cup,” head coach Mark Torcaso said after the match.
Ranked 41st in the world, the Filipinas made life difficult for the Matildas despite conceding possession for most of the game. Their compact low block held strong, anchored by veteran goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel, who delivered several crucial saves—including late stops against Manchester City standout Mary Fowler.
“I’m really happy with the girls, really proud of them, and we’re just gonna look to get better and better each game,” McDaniel said.
South Korea, meanwhile, opens its Group A campaign against Iran on Monday.
Only the top two teams from each of the three groups, plus the two best third‑placed teams, will move on to the knockout stage. The tournament will award six coveted spots in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
