The Philippine Women’s National Futsal Team saw its World Cup dream slip away Monday night after a tough 3–2 loss to Morocco in the 2025 FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
For a few electric minutes, it felt like the Filipina5 were ready to pull off something unforgettable.
The crowd erupted as Inday Tolentin scored just four minutes in, giving the Philippines a perfect start. Moments later, Cathrine Graversen fired another goal in the eighth minute, sending the 1,771 fans into full celebration mode. At 2–0, the upset seemed within reach.
But Morocco, ranked 31st in the world, responded with fire. A costly own goal by Katrina Guillou in the 10th minute cracked the door open, and the Atlas Lionesses stormed through. Siiham Tadlaoui and Jasmine Demraoui struck in the 14th and 17th minutes to complete a stunning turnaround.
The Filipinas pushed hard in the second half—launching long-range shots, pressing on defense, and fighting for a penalty that could have changed everything. But after a video review, the referee ruled there was no foul on the Demraoui incident, shutting down the hosts’ best chance to equalize.
“We started strong, but it wasn’t enough,” said Philippines head coach Rafa Merino. “The team is hurting, but we need to stay focused. We still have one more game against Argentina, and we’ll fight to finish strong.”
Earlier in the day, Argentina secured the first quarterfinal slot in Group A with a nail-biting 3–2 win over Poland. Argentina jumped to a 3–0 lead with goals from Silvina Nava, Agostina Chiesa, and Lucia Rossi, but Poland clawed back after Nava was sent off for a second yellow card. Despite late drama and a potential last-second penalty, Poland fell short.
With six points, Argentina sits atop Group A. Poland and Morocco follow with three points each, while the Philippines remains winless.
The group stage wraps up Thursday, still at Philsports Arena:
Poland vs. Morocco at 6 p.m.
Philippines vs. Argentina at 8:30 p.m.
