The Philippine Men’s National Football Team’s quest to advance to the semifinals of the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 ended on a whimper, with the Philippines suffering a 1-0 loss to Malaysia on Saturday at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium.
Needing a lopsided victory to keep its knockout-stage hopes alive, the Philippines saw those chances dashed early as Johor Darul Ta’zim II winger Pavithran Gunalan gave the hosts the lead with a header in the 16th minute.
The Harimau Malaya continued to find ways to breach the Philippines’ defense and test goalkeeper Patrick Deyto, but an insurance goal remained elusive.
Pavithran nearly secured his second goal of the match with less than 10 minutes remaining, only for Filipino defender Jaime Rosquillo to make a heroic goal-line clearance.
Malaysia ultimately held on for its third win in four matches, leaving the Philippines to rue what might have been had it started both the match and its overall campaign on a better note.
“So yeah, it’s definitely a learning experience that we cannot start these tournaments on the wrong foot, because very quickly it can turn — it can [become] very difficult for you in this tournament,” said midfielder Sandro Reyes.
“It’s tough to catch up in a group, and you want to start off on a good note so that you’re in the top two positions throughout the weeks. So, over these past two days, we started to show a different character.”
The result saw the Philippines miss out on the final four of the tournament for the first time since the 2022 edition, finishing fourth in Group B with three points. The Filipinos’ lone victory came against Laos last week, while they suffered defeats to Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Malaysia, meanwhile, finished second in Group B with nine points. Thailand, which defeated Myanmar 2-0 in the simultaneous kickoff, swept the group stage and advanced to the semifinals with 12 points.
Myanmar finished third with six points, while Laos ended the campaign at the bottom of the group without a point.
Malaysia and Thailand will now face Vietnam and Singapore, respectively, in the semifinals. The Philippines, meanwhile, will look to bounce back next month in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup.
“I think we’re a group of guys that did everything in this tournament. It wasn’t so easy, you know — players leaving their clubs, sacrificing time with their families, and some even have babies at home. During the summer — the time after the off-season and in the pre-season — they could spend time at home, but they chose to fight for the country. So I think everyone gave their best, and that’s all we can ask for at the end of the day,” said Reyes.
“Thank you very much [to the fans], and we hope to do better in the coming months.”
MAS XI: Azri (GK), Ubaidullah, Alif, Rodney, Wan Kuzain, Sergio Aguero, Haiqal Lau, Sumareh, Paulo Josue ©, Pavithran, Faris
PHI XI: Deyto (GK), Sato ©, Ugelvik, Reyes, Muens, Gayoso, Nishioka, Kekkonen, Mrowka, Mariona, Rontini.
