Uzbekistan Women Lose to Philippines in World Cup Qualifier

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s women’s national football team suffered a 0–2 defeat to the Philippines in a World Cup qualification playoff match held as part of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.

Both goals were scored after the break, with Angela Beard opening the scoring in the 47th minute and Jacqueline Sawicki doubling the lead in the 52nd.

During the group stage, Uzbekistan competed in Group B, where they lost to DPR Korea and China by identical 0–3 scorelines. The team secured a 4–0 victory over Bangladesh in their final group match, advancing to the quarterfinals as one of the best third-placed teams.

In the quarterfinals, Uzbekistan was defeated by South Korea 0–6.

Despite the playoff loss, the team still retains a chance to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted by Brazil, through the intercontinental playoff route.

The qualification tournament will be held in two stages and involve ten teams. In the first stage, scheduled for November–December 2026, six lower-ranked teams will compete, with the top two advancing to the next round.

In the second stage, they will be joined by four higher-ranked teams. The six teams will be paired into three matchups, each decided by a single match, with the winners securing the final berths for the 2027 World Cup.

Under the regulations, teams from the same confederation cannot face each other at this stage of qualification.