The Philippine Women’s National Futsal Team, known as the Filipina5, faced a challenging start in their maiden campaign at the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup China 2025, suffering back-to-back defeats in Group B action at the Hohhot Sports Centre.
Heart over Talent against Iran
In their tournament opener, the Filipinas put up a valiant effort against futsal powerhouse Iran, narrowly losing 1-0 on Wednesday. The tightly contested match saw returning player Isabella Bandoja and captain Bella Flanigan nearly break the deadlock, but their efforts were thwarted. Goalkeeper Samantha Hughes stood out with a series of critical saves that kept the match level until the closing minutes. However, with less than two minutes to play, Maral Torkaman of Iran managed to find the back of the net, securing a late winner for the ninth-ranked side.
Heartbreaker against Vietnam
Two days later, the Philippines squared off against familiar regional foe Vietnam in a rematch of their 2024 ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship encounter. Despite holding Vietnam to a goalless draw in the first half, the Filipinas eventually fell 3-0. Trinh Nguyen Thanh Hang opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, followed by a strike from Tran Thi Thu Xuan in the 33rd. Vietnam capped off the win with a late penalty converted by Le Thi Thanh Ngan.
While the scoreboard didn’t reflect it, the Filipina5 carved out several chances of their own. Dionesa Tolentin, a standout from Far Eastern University, and former University of Santo Tomas star Hazel Lustan both came close to scoring but couldn’t convert their chances.
One Last Hurrah
With Vietnam now securing a quarterfinal berth after earning six points from two matches, the Philippines turn their focus to Sunday’s group finale against Hong Kong. Scheduled for 11:00 AM at the same venue, the match offers the Filipinas a final opportunity to fight for a place in the knockout round as one of the top third-placed teams.
