The Philippine Men’s National Football Team kicked off its campaign in the final qualifying round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Maldives on Tuesday at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Tarlac.
Facing a team ranked 162nd in the world, the Philippines wasted no time asserting its dominance. Defender Jefferson Tabinas opened the scoring just six minutes into the match, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to finish unmarked at the far post.
Albert Capellas’ squad doubled its lead in the 18th minute when Bjørn Martin Kristensen fired home a clinical strike — his sixth goal in just 12 international appearances.
Maldives attempted to stage a comeback in the second half, pulling a goal back in the 62nd minute through Ali Fasir, who slotted in a well-placed finish off an assist from Hussain Sifaau Yoosuf. However, the rally was short-lived.
The Philippines reasserted control in the 77th minute as Randy Schneider showcased his individual brilliance to net the team’s third goal.
Then, in stoppage time, midfielder Sandro Reyes sealed the victory with a composed right-footed finish inside the Maldives’ penalty area.
“Job done,” said Capellas. “It’s these type of games that we have to win if we want to qualify. It was at home. It was our first game. It’s always very important to start with a win. Now, we’re at the top (of Group A) and we cannot wait to play against Tajikistan here at home.
We expect a lot of people and to start (the campaign) with two wins, and for sure we’re gonna fight for positions. I’m very happy as a coach, especially for the players and Federation who are working very hard for this success.”
Elsewhere in Group A, Tajikistan secured a 1-0 home win over Timor-Leste.
With the victory, the Philippines sits atop Group A with three points and a +3 goal difference, followed by Tajikistan, which also has three points but holds a +1 GD.
Timor-Leste and Maldives remain at the bottom of the standings with zero points, with Timor-Leste in third (-1 GD) and Maldives in fourth (-3 GD).
Only the top team from Group A will qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Both teams return to action on June 10, with the Philippines aiming to build on its strong start when it hosts Tajikistan, while Maldives travels to face Timor-Leste.
Philippines XI: Mendoza (GK), P Tabinas, J Tabinas, Nyholm, Reyes, Ott ©, Kristensen, Schneider, Bailey, Kempter, Rublico.
Maldives XI: Shareef (GK), Ali ©, Numaan, Yoosuf, Fasir, Ibrahim, Mohamed, Hassan, Hussain, Naim, Nihan.
