MANILA — The Philippines kept their chances of reaching the playoffs alive in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup with a 2-0 win over Iran on Sunday at the Cbus Super Stadium in Queensland, Australia.
Filipina forward Mallie Ramirez was instrumental in the victory, clashing with Iran’s Itefeh Imani in a tense contest that highlighted the Filipinas’ determination to advance.
Australian head coach Mark Torcaso said the team remains hopeful. “We are praying that this win, along with a few goals, will be enough for us to progress from the group,” Torcaso stated in a Monday release.
With the victory, the Philippines finished the group stage with a 1-0-2 record, while Iran, hampered by two injured players, are now eliminated from playoff contention.
Group stage qualifiers include South Korea and Australia (Group A), North Korea and China (Group B), and Japan (Group C). Chinese Taipei, after beating Vietnam 1-0, is still competing for the final playoff spot, along with Vietnam and Uzbekistan, who have one match left against Bangladesh.
The Filipinas now wait anxiously for the outcomes of other games to determine whether their performance secures a spot as one of the top third-place teams advancing to the knockout stage.
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