The Philippine Women’s National Football Team is officially headed to the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup after sweeping all three matches in the qualifiers held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Relive the Filipinas’ underdog triumph at the FIFA Women’s World Cup by reading how they blazed a trail with a historic win and first-ever goal on the world stage.
The Filipinas are now set to return to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup for the third straight time, hoping to make history once more like they did in 2022 — when their breakthrough performance led to the Philippines’ first-ever qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
The Filipinas clinched their spot in the prestigious continental tournament with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Hong Kong on Saturday at the Olympic Stadium. This followed dominant victories against Saudi Arabia (3-0) and Cambodia (6-0), giving them a perfect record of nine points, 10 goals scored, and zero conceded.
The Filipinas’ social media proudly announced its qualification:
Chandler McDaniel netted the lone goal of the match in the fourth minute, her 11th for the national team, finishing a smart setup that began with a long delivery from her sister, goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel.
“The team had a clear objective: to win all three games and perform to the best of our abilities, and I believe we accomplished just that,” Chandler said after the match. “Playing three games in six days is always challenging, but we showed tremendous heart and proved that we rightfully deserve to return to the Asian Cup next year.”
Recall the moment the Filipinas made history with their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification by checking out this feature on their groundbreaking 2022 campaign.
Olivia McDaniel kept the team’s clean sheet intact with a crucial save against Cheung Wai Ki in the 20th minute, denying Hong Kong their best chance of the night. Additional chances for the Philippines came from Quinley Quezada and another near goal by Chandler in the 18th minute, but the score remained 1-0 until full time.
This marks the third consecutive qualification for the Filipinas in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, where they will join hosts Australia, Japan, China, Korea Republic, and first-time qualifier Bangladesh in 2026. The tournament also serves as the final qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Philippine Football Federation posted a full report of the Filipinas’ third consecutive win milestone:
“PFF proudly congratulates the Filipinas for making it to the Asian Cup once more,” said Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President John Gutierrez. “This is more than just a qualifier but a strong testament to the dedication and determination of our players, coaches and staff… This achievement is fueled by the unity and pride in the hearts of Filipinos everywhere.”
Chandler also expressed appreciation to Filipino fans: “The fans are always incredibly supportive. We love seeing all the Filipinos come out to support us, and we’re so happy we were able to deliver these three wins and give them the result they deserve.”
Look back on how the Filipinas, then known as the Malditas, first booked their place in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup finals by reading this story on their breakthrough qualifiers campaign.
Australia welcomed the qualified teams, including the Philippines:
The team will return to action in August to defend their title at the ASEAN Women’s Championship in Vietnam, followed by the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.
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