By: Icko de Guzman
Portugal advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup 2025 with a 3–1 victory over Japan in Group C action at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
Ana Azevedo delivered a brace for the Selecção das Quinas, but Portugal had to work hard against a resilient Japanese side that refused to yield.
The breakthrough came in the 16th minute when Azevedo and Kaka struck in quick succession to give Portugal a 2–0 lead at halftime.
Japan continued to push after the restart and finally pulled one back three minutes from time, as Sara Oino capitalized on a loose ball. But Azevedo sealed the win in the dying seconds, firing into an open net for her second goal of the match.
“It’s about attitude; they are important for us to grow too,” said Portugal head coach Luis Conceição.
“In a World Cup, there are moments we won’t always be able to counter. We wanted some stability, and once we settled, we made it 3–1, defended the 4-on-5, and closed it out. But we have to be more consistent during the game.”
(C) FIFA
In an earlier Group C fixture, Tanzania overcame an early red card to edge New Zealand, 4–2, and claim their first win of the tournament.
The African side suffered a major blow in the third minute when Gelwa Lugomba was shown a straight red card.
Despite the setback, Mary Siyame opened the scoring in the 11th minute.
New Zealand captain Hannah Kraakman equalized on the stroke of halftime, but Tanzania regained control through Siyame’s second goal in the 22nd minute. Winfrida Charles added a third five minutes later.
Jessica Verdon cut the deficit in the 27th minute to set up a tense finish, but Siyame completed her hat-trick just before full-time to secure all three points.
“We’re very happy to win today. We needed the win,” said Tanzania head coach Curtis Reed.
“The change in attitude made a big difference. Now we still have our last game, and we hope to do the same.”
Portugal remains on top of Group C with six points, while Japan and Tanzania are tied with three each. New Zealand is at the bottom with no points.
All four teams return to action on Saturday, November 29. Japan and Tanzania will battle for the second quarterfinal spot in Group C at 12:00 PM, followed by Portugal facing already-eliminated New Zealand at 2:30 PM.
