Philippines Wins Asian Cup Match
The Philippines secured their first points of the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup with a 2-0 win over Iran [https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_womens_asian_cup.html/news/torcaso-hails-philippines%E2%80%99-spirit-jafari-proud-of-ir-iran-efforts]. The team is drawing praise for their resilience. Who scored the goals for the Philippines?
Sara Eggesvik and Chandler McDaniel scored the goals in the Philippines' 2-0 victory over Iran. The Filipinas' win keeps them in contention for a spot in the knockout round. The Philippines, currently ranked 41st globally and 7th in Asia, made their 11th appearance in the AFC Women's Asian Cup. They qualified by winning all three of their qualifying matches against Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, and Hong Kong. This is only the second time Iran has qualified for the tournament. They secured their spot by beating Jordan in the qualifiers, mirroring their qualification for the 2022 edition. The Philippines' next match is against South Korea on March 5th. The top two teams from each of the three groups, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarterfinals. In 2022, the Filipinas reached the semi-finals of the AFC Women's Asian Cup, which secured them a spot in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. It was the first time the country had ever qualified for a FIFA World Cup in any gender or age level. The Iranian team faced protests and turmoil during the tournament. After the loss to the Philippines, protestors blocked their bus. Some Iranian players reportedly faced criticism from state media for not singing the national anthem.
