Filipinas fall to Japan in AFC Women’s Cup, face crucial World Cup play-in

The road to the next World Cup grew steeper for the Filipinas after a quarterfinal setback to a powerhouse opponent, but their campaign is far from over.

The Philippines women’s national football team absorbed a 7–0 defeat against the Japan women’s national football team in the quarterfinals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on Sunday at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

The result denied the Filipinas an outright ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, but the team still has two remaining paths to reach the tournament in Brazil.

For nearly an entire half, the Filipinas managed to frustrate Japan’s relentless attack. Reserve goalkeeper Nina Meollo delivered a string of saves that kept the match scoreless deep into the opening period.

Japan eventually broke through just before halftime when Mina Tanaka found the net in the 45th minute, giving the Asian giants the lead and shifting the momentum firmly in their favor.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

After the break, Japan’s depth and precision began to overwhelm the Filipinas. Toko Koga struck twice early in the second half to stretch the advantage to 2–0, igniting a scoring surge that effectively sealed the contest.

More goals followed as Remina Chiba scored in the 65th minute, Manaka Matsukubo added another two minutes later, and late finishes from Momoko Tanikawa in the 86th minute and Riko Ueki in stoppage time completed the rout.

With the victory, Japan advanced to the semifinals and secured a direct berth to the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

The Filipinas, meanwhile, must quickly regroup as their qualifying hopes now hinge on a crucial play-in match against Uzbekistan women’s national football team on Thursday.

The stakes are clear: the winner of the clash claims one of the final automatic World Cup spots allotted to Asia/Oceania. The losing side will still have a lifeline but must navigate the inter-confederation playoffs for one last chance to reach Brazil.

The Filipinas could also receive a boost in goal for the pivotal encounter, with first-choice goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel expected to return after being rested in the quarterfinal match.

Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

  Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans!