The Philippine women’s national futsal team, the Filipina5, delivered a landmark performance on Monday night at the Philsports Arena, pushing world No. 31 and reigning Africa Cup of Nations Women’s Futsal champions Morocco to the limit in a 2-3 result in the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Group A on Monday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Before a roaring home crowd, Filipina5 struck twice in the opening minutes—marking the nation’s first goals in a FIFA World Cup finals since 2023.
The breakthrough came in the 4th minute from a brilliantly executed set piece. Bella Flanigan ran a dummy on a free kick from the left wing, freezing Morocco’s backline as Dionesa Tolentin fired a clean strike into the net, sending the Philsports Arena, which included 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup goal scorer Sarina Bolden, into celebration.
Only three minutes later, the Filipina5 stunned Morocco again. Samantha Hughes fed Isabella Bandoja, who muscled past two defenders before assisting Cathrine Graversen on the right flank. Graversen coolly slotted the ball in, doubling the Philippine lead and etching her name into the history books as well.
Morocco, however, mounted a strong reply. In the 10th minute, the double team of Jasmine Demraoui and Meryem Hajri intercepted Flanigan at halfcourt to spark a 3v2 transition, with Nadia Laftah finishing off Hajri’s low cross past Katrina Guillou. Four minutes later, Chaymaa Mourtaji initiated a sequence that ended with Siiham Tadlaoui’s equalizer.
The African champions completed the comeback in the 17th minute when Hajri lofted a ball from halfcourt to Demraoui, who volleyed home what became the winning goal.
Still, the Philippines fought persistently through the second half.
Flanigan missed narrowly off a set piece in the 23rd minute, while Tolentin saw a rocket blocked by Hajri in the 24th.
Hughes came up big with a double save in the 27th, and Tolentin forced another difficult stop from Morocco goalkeeper Kawtar Bentaleb in the 29th off a well-driven long-distance free kick.
Judy Connolly nearly equalized in the 33rd minute with a counterattack strike that curled just wide. In the 40th minute, power-play goalkeeper Maye Mendaño attempted two crosses inside the box, but the Filipinas could not find the final connection.
Despite the final score, the Filipina5 left the court to a standing ovation, their effort symbolizing a new chapter for Philippine futsal.
Head coach Rafa Merino reflected on both the brilliance and emotional impact of the fast start.
“Well, I think that scoring two goals so fast, putting ourselves in front of the scoreboard, I think that it has surprised us a bit, and it has taken us out of the game plan that we had,” Merino said. “We didn’t know that was going to happen. It affected the players emotionally—in a positive way—but it changed the game. We still lack the experience to handle that kind of scenario.”
Merino added that the team’s motivation has never been higher.
“We need the World Cup, we are in our country, and I don’t think there is more motivation than that,” he said. “It’s the World Cup, and they are playing at home. There is no motivation like that.”
Goal scorer Graversen described the moment as unforgettable.
“I mean, it’s a World Cup, right? Everybody wants to score, so for me it’s a dream coming true,” she said. “And then I’m on home court. The atmosphere was just wild.”
Graversen praised the fight of the Filipina5 until the final buzzer.
“We created a lot of opportunities and we gave it our all— that’s all you can ask,” she added. “We fought until the very last minute, even tried with power play. Now we watch the game, analyze what to improve, and prepare the best for the next matches.”
Though the result did not favor the Philippines, the Filipina5’s spirit, skill, and composure against one of the world’s top futsal teams delivered a proud moment for Philippine sports.
PFF extends its heartfelt thanks to the players, coaches, staff, and supporters who made this historic night possible. The journey continues on November 27 versus Argentina, 8:30 PM at the Philsports Arena in Pasig, with tickets for sale via futsalwwc.com.
