Philippines coach: 'Few thought we could win the World Cup'

"Few people believe we can win our second match at the World Cup," coach Alen Stajcic said after the game at Sky Stadium. "Everybody around me was crying. It was a really emotional scene."

At Wellington Stadium this afternoon, the Philippines shocked when they beat co-host New Zealand 1-0 with the only goal of Sarina Bolden in the first half. The luck and excellence of goalkeeper Olivia Davies McDaniel helped the Southeast Asian representative to preserve the score until the end of the match.

This is the first time the Philippines has won a World Cup match, and they are only the second Southeast Asian representative to do this, after Thailand defeated Ivory Coast 3-2 in 2015. The Philippines is also the first team out of eight teams participating in the 2023 Women's World Cup for the first time to enjoy the victory.

Stajcic therefore likens the Philippines' victory to the success of legendary boxer and national icon - Manny Pacquiao. "This is a special moment in Philippine sports history," the 49-year-old said. "Personally, Pacquiao is number one, but in team sport, our victory today is definitely the best."

Before working in the Philippines, coach Alen Stajcic once led the Australian women's team ranked fifth on the FIFA rankings. In addition, he helped Australia win the knockout stage at the World Cup for the first time - defeating Brazil 1-0 in the round of 16 of the 2015 tournament before losing 0-1 to Japan in the quarterfinals. Stajcic insists the win over New Zealand is the best moment of his career.

The Philippines coach said: "How can you beat the host country in a World Cup? Without a doubt, that's the best thing. The Philippines ranked 60th or 70th a few months ago, struggling to beat Nepal or Hong Kong. What the players have done is truly amazing."

Alen Stajcic believes that his team creates its own luck, and also has a lot of luck. He conceded New Zealand deservedly took control of the game, hitting 16 shots - four times more than the Philippines. "But football is cruel sometimes," he added.

In the last match of Group A, the Philippines will face Norway, while New Zealand will face Switzerland.