The Philippine men’s national football team opened the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers in triumphant fashion.
The Nationals took an early lead in Group A after clobbering Maldives, 4-1, during their clash on a rainy Tuesday evening, March 25, at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.
The Albert Capellas-mentored squad is now at 1-0, and they will still face Tajikistan, Timor-Leste and Maldives again in the double-round robin, which will conclude in March 2026.
“Job done,” said Capellas during the post-match press conference.
“These are the types of games that we need to win if we need to qualify. It’s always important to start with a win. With the point-advantage, we are on top, and we can’t wait to face Tajikistan next.”
A standout for the Philippines was Filipino-Swiss Randy Schneider, who made his national team debut by scoring a goal for the country.
“You can see it in the game. I felt good,” the 23-year-old said. “The Philippines have welcomed me since the first day, so I hope I can continue like this.”
The home side was the first to get on the scoreboard, with Jefferson Tabinas converting on a header in the fifth minute for a 1-0 lead.
A few minutes later, Bjorn Kristensen then doubled the Philippines’ advantage, 2-0, after his right-footed strike inside the box in the 17th minute of the contest.
Maldives, however, looked to chase the home bets in the second half as Ali Fasir gave his squad their first conversion in the 62nd minute to cut their deficit to half, 2-1.
Unfortunately for the guests, this proved to be the nearest that they could get as the Philippines managed to maintain their dominance later on.
Schneider, who assisted Kristensen’s goal earlier, was vital in giving the Nationals a 3-1 lead after his debut goal in the 77th minute, while Sandro Reyes pushed their cushion to three, 4-1, after his attempt reached the back of the net in the extended 92nd minute before the final horn.
Up next for the Philippines is an encounter with Tajikistan which is scheduled for June 10. (ABS-CBN News)