THE Philippine Women’s National Football Team is officially headed to the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup after edging past Hong Kong, 1-0, on Saturday night at Phnom Penh’s Olympic Stadium.
It was another strong statement from the Filipinas, who set the tone early as Chandler McDaniel struck in the fourth minute to give the Philippines the lead.
Hong Kong nearly equalized in the 20th minute when Cheung Wai Ki found space, but Olivia McDaniel made a key stop to preserve the 1-0 advantage at the break.
The Filipinas had several chances to extend the lead. Chandler McDaniel nearly doubled the score in the 18th minute after connecting with a long ball from sister Olivia, but her chip sailed wide.
In the 75th minute, Quinley Quezada got on the end of a cross from Jackie Sawicki, but her header missed the target. Olivia McDaniel was tested again in the 81st minute and came up with another crucial save.
With this result, the Philippines completed a clean sweep of Group G, following convincing wins over Saudi Arabia (3-0) and Cambodia (6-0). They finished with nine points, scored 10 goals, and didn’t concede any.
Pulled Through
As impressive as their wins were, playing three matches in just six days is no easy feat—especially while performing in front of an international crowd and maintaining a dominant form throughout.
“The team had a goal and it was to win all three games and do the best we absolutely could,” Chandler McDaniel said during the post-game interviews. “I think that’s exactly what our team did.”
“You know, three games in six days is always hard, but we showed a lot of heart. We came out and showed that we deserve to go back to qualifiers again this year,” McDaniel went on to say.
Meanwhile, Chandler also shared her appreciation for the Filipinos who backed them even while playing abroad. She was equally thrilled that they were able to deliver strong results in every game for their supporters.
“Always, the fans are so supportive. We love seeing all of our Filipinas out to support us, and we’re just so happy we were able to give them the three wins and give them the result that they deserved,” she said.
This marks the third consecutive Women’s Asian Cup appearance for the Filipinas, and they hope to recreate their historic 2022 run, where they secured a place in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
They now join host nation Australia, as well as China, South Korea, Japan, and Bangladesh among the qualified teams for next year’s Asian Cup — which also serves as the final qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
