Filipinas begin Asian Cup Qualifiers with resounding win over Saudi Arabia

The Philippine women’s national football team, the Filipinas, kicked off their 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers campaign in dominant fashion, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory over Saudi Arabia at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh. 

The win puts the Filipinas at the top of Group G, an excellent start in their quest to qualify for next year’s prestigious tournament in Australia.

Despite missing key attacking players Sarina Bolden and Katrina Guillou due to injury, the Filipinas showcased their depth and tactical prowess, controlling possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities throughout the match. Saudi Arabia, participating in the qualifiers for the first time, found themselves under constant pressure from the more experienced Philippine side.

The breakthrough came in the 16th minute when Meryll Serrano, making a strong return to the national team, dispossessed a Saudi Arabian defender and fed the ball to Jaclyn Sawicki. Sawicki’s shot took a deflection off a defender, finding its way into the net for a well-deserved 1-0 lead. It was Sawicki’s first-ever goal for the national team.

Saudi Arabia’s goalkeeper Mona Alowais put in a commendable performance to keep the scoreline respectable in the first half, making crucial saves against efforts from Chandler McDaniel and Alexa Pino. However, the Filipinas’ relentless attack eventually paid off again in the second half.

The Philippine women’s national football team kicked off their AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a dominant 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Saturday at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.https://t.co/1hIUCSa0w9

— Fastbreak (@fastbreaknewsph) June 29, 2025

Around ten minutes after the restart, in the 55th minute, Meryll Serrano herself got on the scoresheet. Following a pass from Chandler McDaniel, Serrano expertly found space inside the box and unleashed a left-footed strike that Mona Alowais couldn’t stop, doubling the Filipinas’ advantage to 2-0.

The icing on the cake came in the 81st minute, courtesy of the young and tireless Alexa Pino. Her superb curling effort sailed past the Saudi Arabian defense, rewarding her tireless work throughout the game with a debut senior team goal and sealing the emphatic 3-0 victory.

Coach Mark Torcaso’s side, which also featured World Cup veterans like Sara Eggesvik, Angie Beard, Hali Long, and goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel, demonstrated their intent to secure maximum points in every game. Only the group winners from the eight qualifying groups will advance to the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

The Filipinas will now turn their attention to their next challenge in Group G, facing host nation Cambodia on Wednesday, July 2. With this strong opening performance, the Filipinas have set a high standard and are firmly on track for another successful run in their journey toward major international football competitions.

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