Sara Eggesvik (8) of the Philippines in action against Iran in Group A of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026, March 8, 2026 at the Gold Coast Stadium. PFF-PWNFT
MANILA (2nd UPDATE) -- The Philippine women's national football team is still in the running for a place in the knockout round after a hard-earned 2-0 win over Iran in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026, Sunday at the Gold Coast Stadium.
Goals in either half from Sara Eggesvik and Chandler McDaniel propelled the Filipinas to a much-needed victory -- one that ensured they will finish third in Group A.
They can still advance to the quarterfinals as one of the two best third-placed teams, though this will depend on the result of the Group B match between Bangladesh and Uzbekistan on Monday.
"I never ever doubt these girls. These girls are outstanding, their professionalism, they're so proud to represent the country, and I didn't doubt at all that we could win this game," said Filipinas coach Mark Torcaso. "I knew that the girls could win this game."
The Filipinas were made to work by an Iran side that has drawn praise and support for their fighting spirit even as war wages in their country.
Indeed Iran had threatened to strike first, with Fatemeh Amineh nd Mohadeseh Zolfi testing Olivia McDaniel in succession in the early goings.
Eggesvik finally broke the ice for the Philippines in the 29th minute, firing a right-footed strike past Raha Yazdani. The goal was initially disallowed, but awarded upon VAR review.
"It's not that often that I score, so, I get very happy to be able to score and contribute to the team. It's important for us to get that goal and to get an early lead," said Eggesvik, who notched her seventh goal for the country, after the match.
"I think that put the pressure on us a little bit down, at least like we had one goal. But yeah, we knew we had to fight and get more goals. So yeah, it was fun to score," she added.
From there, the Philippines ramped up their aggression and repeatedly tried to add to their tally. But Yazdani was up to the task, denying efforts from Alexa Pino, Mallie Ramirez, and Katrina Guillou.
Yazdani continued to frustrate the Filipinas in the second half, even as most of the possession remained in the Philippines' attacking half. Jackie Sawicki had a golden opportunity in the 57th minute, but her attempt went over the bar.
Action between Iran and the Philippines in Group A of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026, March 8, 2026 at the Gold Coast Stadium. PFF-PWNFT
The entry of Chandler McDaniel and Ariana Markey in the 63rd minute re-energized the Philippines' attack, and they linked up in the 82nd minute for the Filipinas' second goal.
Markey found McDaniel at the center of the box, and the striker made no mistake in firing a right-footed shot past Yazdani who was finally caught flat-footed.
It would have been 3-0 five minutes later, but another goal by McDaniel was waved off as Alessandrea Carpio was found offside in the build-up.
The Filipinas tried desperately to add to their advantage in the closing minutes, with Angie Beard and Carleigh Frilles pushing forward in search of a third goal, but the Iran defense did well to maintain the scoreline.
The result officially eliminated Iran, as they dropped all four of their matches in the group stage.
For the Filipinas, it was a needed result following back-to-back losses to Australia and South Korea.
"We're also still proud of the two performances that we had against Australia and South Korea, because we truly believe that this group was one of the toughest groups in this competition, and for the girls to continue fighting right into the last game of the fixture," Torcaso said.
"We're praying and hoping that this has done enough for us to advance into the last eight," he added.
The Philippines limited Iran to just six shots, with just one on target. However, they also could not maximize their own opportunities, due in part to Yazdani who stood firm even with the Filipinas tallying 23 shots, 14 of which were on target.