THE Philippines kept its hopes alive for an Olympic berth after beating Iran, 1-0, on Wednesday in their final match of the second round of qualifiers at the Perth Rectangular Stadium.
Filipinas vs Iran Olympic qualifiers recap
Tahnai Annis tallied the only goal in the 19th, and the Filipinas held on to that precarious lead amidst a couple of scoring chances by Iran in the second half, and the superb goalkeeping of Zahra Khajavi.
The close result enabled the Philippines to take the full three points and their second win at the close of their Group A campaign in the second round with still a slim chance of securing a seat in the Olympics.
The Philippines though needs a draw between China and South Korea held in Xiamen, China, an India win or draw over Uzbekistan in Tashkent, and a Japan win or draw against Vietnam in Tashkent on Wednesday night in order to advance.
The Filipinas are looking to secure the best second placer across the three groups to clinch a berth in the third round, a two-legged semifinals where two slots in the Paris Olympics for the Asian Football Confederation are at stake.
The three group winners will also play in the third round.
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