Philippine team qualifies for FIFA Women’s World Cup in historic first

History has been made for the Philippines in the field of sports after the country booked its first World Cup berth courtesy of the women's football team.

The Philippine women's football team has qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 after defeating Chinese Taipei in the quarter-finals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup. 

With a 4-3 victory on penalties on Monday, Jan. 31 (PH time) at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, India, the country has not only earned a spot in the semi-finals of the tournament alongside Korea, Japan, and China, but also the prestigious World Cup. 

The game resulted in a 1-1 draw in the first half. The next part saw the PH’s first goal by Quinley Quezada at the 49’ mark for a 1-0 lead. Zhuo Li-Ping nailed an equalizer that moved the match to extra time, which also led to a draw.

The national women’s football team then punched its ticket with destiny after forward Sarina Bolden nailed her penalty kick in the shootout.

The team’s head coach Alen Stajcic weighed on the historic implications of the win in a dispatch from the Asian Football Confederation.

"It’s an unbelievable achievement by the group, and a moment in history for the country, you won’t be able to take that away from the group," Stajcic said. "For now, every young kid back at home in the Philippines can be inspired to get to the World Cup themselves. The group is really proud of each other, but they’re even more proud to inspire the next generation."

The PH is set to battle against South Korea in the semi-finals on Thursday, Feb. 3. 

The World Cup is slated for July 2023, with Australia and New Zealand as its hosts.