Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 17) – The Philippine women’s football team accomplished another milestone in the country’s sports history after they topped for the first time the AFF Women’s Championship, the premier football competition in Southeast Asia.
The gallant Filipinas clinched the crown after trouncing regional powerhouse Thailand, 3-0, in the finals on Sunday in front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
The historic win gave the world no. 53 Filipinas a big-time revenge against the world no. 43 Thais, the lone squad that beat them in the 12th edition of the tournament and eliminated them in the semifinals of the 31st Southeast Asian Games in May.
In their much-awaited showdown for the regional title, the Filipinas had a dream start as they scored the breakthrough strike of the match in the seventh minute to the delight of the 8,257 fans inside the historic stadium.
Centerback Jessika Cowart was responsible for giving the lead as she nailed her first international goal for the Philippines with a fantastic header off a corner kick from team captain Tahnai Annis.
The Filipinas successfully doubled their advantage in the 20th minute as Katrina Guillou found the back of the net, coming from a pass by Jaclyn Sawicki in the middle.
The Thais, who earned their fifth straight AFF Women’s Championship finals appearance, got a credible shot for a strike in the 62nd minute after Cowart was slapped with a yellow card off a strong push on Thai striker Kanyanat Chetthabutr.
Midfielder Ploychompoo Somnuek executed the free kick, but the ball went wide and beyond the goal box.
Filipinas striker Sarina Bolden, the tournament’s top scorer, sealed the country’s maiden AFF title after listing her eighth goal in the 88th minute with a header from another corner kick play orchestrated by Sara Eggesvik.
Throughout the match until the final whistle, the Filipinas displayed exemplary defense against their Thai foes to deny them a goal opportunity and to assert their hold of the title as the new football queens of the region.
“It’s just exhilarating to have that performance, this crowd. Football is alive here in the Philippines,” Filipinas head coach Alen Stajcic said after the game.
The victory mirrored the Filipina booters’ win against Thailand in the group stage of the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in January, which proved to be instrumental in clinching the country’s first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification.
