Noah Leddel struck the winner as the Philippine Men’s Under-23 National Team kept its hopes of advancing in the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers alive with a gritty 1-0 victory over host nation Tajikistan at the Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe.
Leddel, the 22-year-old center-back from Dynamic Herb Cebu, found the back of the net with his left foot off a corner kick delivered by Sandro Reyes, handing the Filipinos a priceless winning goal.
“I think overall it was a tough, scrappy game,” said Leddel. “Both sides were very intense, but it was always going to come down to a set-piece goal.
“I think the boys dug in and showed really big heart to keep a clean sheet against a really good team. Just happy to come away with the win and get the three points.”
With the result, the Philippines climbed to second place in Group K with three points after matchday two.
Earlier, Syria secured its second win of the tournament with a 4-2 triumph over Nepal, boosting its tally to six points and tightening its grip on first place — and with it, the group’s lone outright ticket to the final competition.
On Tuesday, the Philippines will face bottom-ranked Nepal at 9:00 PM (Manila time), while host Tajikistan will battle group leader Syria at midnight.
As it stands, however, the Philippines sits at the bottom of the overall table of second-placed teams.
Only the top four among that group will earn tickets to the final tournament, set to take place next year in Saudi Arabia.
