The Philippine Men’s Under-19 National Football Team started its 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualification campaign on a sour note in a 3-0 loss to host team Oman, early Thursday morning, at the Al-Saada Stadium.
Coach Christopher Pedimonte’s wards suffered a three-goal hole as early as the first half. Nasser Ali Al Saqri broke the deadlock just eight minutes into the contest to set Oman towards victory.
Khalid Ibrahim Al Sulaimi then doubled his side’s cushion in the 13th minute and Ali Hassan Al Bulushi sealed the deal for the home side in the 30th minute.
The result means that Oman now has three points in Group G, which is level with Thailand. On the other hand, the Filipinos sit in third place above Afghanistan due to disciplinary points.
The Philippines looks to bounce back when it takes on Southeast Asian neighbors Thailand. That game will be played this Saturday at 12:45 AM Manila time.
In contrast, Oman will look to build on this win when it goes up against Afghanistan. This shall be played this Friday, 9:00 PM Philippine time.
The Al-Saada Stadium in Salalah will continue to host all four teams.
