Filipinas book place in AFF Women’s Championship finals

This is the first time the Philippines has beaten Vietnam in women’s football play after 10 meetings. (File Photo: Connor Coyne/Unsplash)

MANILA – The Philippine women’s football team clinched a historic spot in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship final after blasting past champion Vietnam, 4-0, in their semifinal showdown at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Friday night.

In front of 3,233 fans, with a section reserved for the Vietnamese fans, the Filipinas struck first in the 32nd minute when Hali Long headed in a Tahnai Annis corner kick.

Annis was rewarded with a 51st-minute penalty that further rocked the Filipinas fans in attendance.

Sarina Bolden then delivered the exclamation points, scoring headers in the 62nd and the 71st minutes to ice the match and dethrone the Vietnamese side.

This is the first time the Philippines has beaten Vietnam in women’s football play after 10 meetings.

With the semifinal win, the Filipinas have a chance to exact revenge on Thailand in the grandest stage of the tournament, the championship match itself on Sunday night.

The Thais clinched the first seat in the finals with a 2-0 win against Myanmar earlier in the night.