The Malditas are on the cusp of a World Cup berth.

The Philippine women’s national football team cleared all the cobwebs from its loss against Australia, walloping Indonesia, 6-0, in the final Group B match of the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup on Thursday night at Pune.

Captain Tahnai Annis rocketed two goals off long shots to lead the Malditas while four others scored to earn a two-win, one-loss card, enough for a quarterfinals berth.

The Philippines will face Taiwan on Sunday in Pune.

The Malditas flew right away from the opening whistle as they earned a penalty kick off an Indonesian handball in the fourth minute.

Forward Sarina Bolden muffed her penalty kick to the left goal post but defender-turned-forward Katrina Gillou scored in the subsequent play, chest-receiving a long ball from Carleigh Frilles and sinking a strike from the center box for her first international goal.

Indonesia’s only chance came in the 25th minute when Insyafadya Salsabillah’s counterattack went a little wide left on the goal.

Two minutes later, the Malditas upped the score with Bolden scoring on a header off a Jess Miclat free kick from the left wing.

In the 56th minute, Annis punched her first goal off a loose ball from outside the penalty box.This was followed by a nifty penalty kick by Miclat after Rosdilah Nurrohmah was caught with a handball off a Maldita corner kick.

Annis then scored her fourth international goal off another long shot from a loose ball in the 82nd minute.

Eighteen-year-old winger Malea Cesar put the icing on the cake in the fourth minute of injury time, catching a loose ball off a Camille Rodriguez volley intended for Anicka Castañeda and sinking an unguarded strike.

This was the third win of the Philippines against Indonesia in their head-to-head history. They previously met in a 3-3 draw in the 2018 AFF Championship.

Aside from this, the Malditas earned the quarterfinals berth with a 1-0 win against long-time tormentor Thailand last Friday before losing to powerhouse Australia, 0-4, last Monday.

Playing without top scorer Michelle Pao, quarterfinal opponent Taiwan has a one-win, one-loss card in Group A. They won last Wednesday against Iran, 5-0, after opening the tournament with a 0-4 loss against China.

The Malditas are still winless against Taiwan after five matches in head-to-head history.

The Pinays, then coached by Marnelli Dimzon and led by youngsters Joyce Semacio and Alisha del Campo, previously lost to the Mulans, 2-4, in the 2020 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in April 2019, with the Malditas scoring twice for Taiwan with own goals.

A win against Taiwan will guarantee the Malditas a much-coveted ticket to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.A loss will relegate the Pinays to a repechage tournament to determine who will complete the cast of five AFC qualifiers to the World Cup aside from host Australia.