The Philippine Boys Under-16 National Team suffered its second defeat in its 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualification campaign in a 3-0 loss to Japan, Monday night, at the Prince Mohammed Stadium in Jordan.
Japanese striker Yutaka Michiwaki proved to be a thorn in the Philippines’ side as he scored a brace just before the halftime break to give Japan a commanding lead.
Despite their best efforts to close up shop, the Filipinos conceded another goal just before the end of the game. Japanese forward Homare Tokuda put the icing on the cake for his team when he put the ball at the back of the net in the 85th minute.
The result means that coach Reiji Hirata’s boys are in last place in Group A as they are yet to tally a point after two matches.
On the other hand, Japan is in second place with three points.
The Filipinos look to bounce back when they take on host nation Jordan on Wednesday, 9:30 PM Manila time, at the Prince Mohammed Stadium.
