Philippine Men’s National Football Team midfielder Sandro Reyes has called on the team to maintain its upward trajectory following a strong start in the final qualifying round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
The Philippines opened its campaign with a resounding 4-1 victory over Maldives last Tuesday at New Clark City Stadium in Tarlac.
Reyes, who started under head coach Albert Capellas, sealed the win with a clinical strike in the 92nd minute, capping off a dominant performance in front of thousands of Filipino fans.
However, the homegrown midfielder emphasized that this victory is just the beginning of the journey toward a second Asian Cup appearance, the first since 2019.
“It’s a huge win,” said the PAREF Southridge alumnus.
“It’s always difficult to play Asian Cup qualifiers. Every game is like a final. Today, we dealt with the pressure well and started really strong, and hope to continue the momentum for the second game.”
Before Reyes’ goal, the Nationals faced a brief scare in the second half when the Red Snappers pulled one back, cutting the Philippines’ two-goal advantage. However, instead of faltering, the team responded well.
Debutant Randy Schneider restored the cushion after latching onto Reyes’ lobbed assist.
In the past, the home side might have struggled under such pressure. But this time, the squad showcased its growth and resilience — bolstered by a strong mix of local and foreign-based Filipino players.
“I think it was the experience of the team,” said the former Kaya-Iloilo player. “We have so many experienced players to not panic when the game gets a bit tough and we’re getting pressured a lot. Also just the brotherhood that we have, the closeness in the team. Nobody blames each other when times get hard. We push each other. I think that really helped us a lot.
“That’s the reason why they play in top clubs in Europe. (You can see) the quality and the attitude as well. You can see on the pitch that they want to fight for our country and the jersey, and it was very nice to see.”
To qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, the Philippines must finish at the top of Group A. With five matches left, there is still a long road ahead before the team can return to the continental stage, where it last competed in 2019 with the likes of Stephan Schröck, Javier Patiño, and Phil Younghusband.
Next up is a tougher challenge against Tajikistan this June in Manila. But with confidence running high and momentum on their side, the PMNFT are eager to deliver another strong performance in front of their home fans.
“I think we will also have another week to prepare for this game,” Reyes said.
“A week before one game in the qualifiers is really helpful. It helped us to really stay fresh and train a lot more days together. We’ll be very hungry in the second game.”
#WATCH: Sandro Reyes expresses his gratitude to the fans who traveled to the New Clark City Athletics Stadium, saying their support made all the difference against Maldives 🇵🇭⚽
📹 @ickodeg /Tiebreaker Times#LabanPilipinas #AsianCup pic.twitter.com/2fueAMo0IV
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 25, 2025
