The Philippine Boys Under-16 National Team kicked off its 2023 AFC Under-17 Asian Cup qualification campaign on a sour note with a 2-0 loss to Turkmenistan, Saturday evening, at the Prince Mohammed Stadium in Jordan.
Phillipine Football Federation Head of Youth Development Reiji Hirata, who serves as the team’s head coach, saw his team concede two goals from Turkmenistan’s Annayev Enver.
Enver converted two penalties in the 20th and 64th minutes of the match to send the Filipinos towards their first defeat in the tournament.
The result means that the Philippines is currently in fifth place in Group A with a goal difference of -2 while Turkmenistan leads the table with three points.
The Filipinos hope to bounce back when they take on Japan, Monday night with kickoff time scheduled at 9:30 PM Manila time. The Prince Mohammad Stadium will remain the venue for this match.
