Six years after rising to superstardom by leading the Philippines to a gold medal on home soil, Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno once again stood at the heart of SIBOL MLBB Men’s triumph.
On his second stint with the national team, Nepomuceno spearheaded SIBOL’s unbeaten run at the regional meet, culminating in a commanding 4–0 sweep of Malaysia in the finals of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Wednesday at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.
With this victory, Nepomuceno cemented his legacy, joining compatriot Angelo “Pheww” Arcangel as one of only two players to win two SEA Games gold medals and two M-series world championships.
Kiel “Oheb” Soriano shone brightly in the opener, dominating with Granger to record nine kills, nine assists, and just one death, propelling the Philippines to a 1–0 series lead.
(C) SIBOL
The 21-year-old gold laner carried his blistering form into Game 2, finishing SIBOL’s swift nine-minute victory with a manic killing spree for a 10–1–1 KDA.
Game 3, however, presented a challenge. Malaysia surged ahead with a 9,200 net worth lead by the 10th minute, fueled by Ealtond “Lolealz” Rayner’s immaculate 4–0–6 performance on Esmeralda.
Yet the Filipinos showed resilience, with Nepomuceno’s heroic 16th-minute Lord steal igniting a rally that culminated in a dramatic comeback victory by the 20th minute, pushing SIBOL to match point at 3–0.
In Game 4, Nepomuceno’s signature Lancelot once again took center stage as SIBOL completed the sweep, sealing a historic victory for the Philippines.
