By: Icko de Guzman
With the Filipinas’ hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 hanging by a thread against Iran, midfielder Sara Eggesvik delivered the breakthrough the Philippines desperately needed — scoring a crucial goal that kept their campaign alive and preserved their dream of qualifying for a second straight FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Eggesvik struck her seventh international goal in the 29th minute. She met the ball near the far post before shifting it onto her stronger foot and calmly firing it into the back of the net.
The moment did not come without drama, though.
The goal underwent a lengthy review by the Video Assistant Referee before final confirmation, ensuring the Filipinas stayed in the fight as they finished third in Group A after three matches.
“I’m glad we got the win,” said Eggesvik, who was named Player of the Match.
“We came into this game not knowing how many goals we needed, just knowing that we had to win.”
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Needing a convincing victory to strengthen their chances of advancing, the Filipinas had to settle for a 2–0 result after Chandler McDaniel added a second goal in the 82nd minute.
Despite the win, Eggesvik — whose mother hails from the Davao Region — admitted the team could have been more clinical in front of goal. The Philippines must now rely on results from the other groups to determine whether they will advance to the next round.
“We had a lot of chances, so I think we could have been more clinical. Then we would feel safer about securing that third place,” the midfielder added.
“It was important for us to get that goal and take the early lead.”
As the Philippines await their fate in the tournament, Eggesvik hopes the team’s performance can inspire the next generation of footballers in the country, especially after the victory came on International Women’s Day.
“I hope we can use that to inspire young players as well,” Eggesvik said.
“We want to build a good team atmosphere and culture, and bring the right standards and values to this team.”
