Just when it seemed the Philippine Women’s National Football Team was on the verge of a historic home victory — their first in over three years — Uzbekistan dashed those hopes with a 2-2 draw on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Diyorakhon Khabibullaeva emerged as the hero for the Uzbeks, scoring twice in the 67th and 81st minutes to spoil the Filipinas’ homecoming match, which drew 3,106 fans to the Manila venue.
Her late heroics erased what had looked like a comfortable win for Marc Torcaso’s squad.
Chandler McDaniel gave the Philippines a dream start, scoring within the first two minutes to extend her personal tally to 12 goals in 21 appearances for the national team.
In the second half, Meryll Serrano seemed to have sealed the victory with a 56th-minute goal, giving the Filipinas a crucial cushion against the visitors.
However, Khabibullaeva’s brace denied the Philippines what would have been their first home win since the memorable 3-0 triumph over Thailand in the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship final.
Next up for the Filipinas is the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next month, where they will aim to return to the podium.
