PH men’s football dominates Maldives in Asian Cup qualifiers 

MANILA, Philippines – Following a bronze-medal finish in the 50th King’s Cup and a semifinal run in the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024, the Philippine men’s football team continued its upward trajectory with head coach Albert Capellas as it claimed a 4-1 win versus Maldives on Tuesday night, March 25, at the New Clark City Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.

Jefferson Tabinas, Bjorn Kristensen, Randy Schneider, and Sandro Reyes were all on target to give the Philippines a winning start in the third round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2027 qualifying tournament. 

J. Tabinas netted from close range at the 6’ mark after tapping in the ball from his brother Paul Tabinas’ flick, off a Schneider corner kick. 

Kristensen quickly added a second goal 11 minutes later as he converted Schneider’s through ball with an emphatic right-footed shot inside the penalty box. 

In the second half, Maldives forward Ali Fasir slotted in a goal at the 62nd minute as the visitors targeted a stunning comeback against the home squad.

However, the Philippines responded twice in the next 30 minutes as Schneider and Reyes each scored a goal to secure the victory.  

The result marked a memorable coaching debut for Capellas in the Asian Cup qualifiers as he walked off the pitch with a convincing victory and described it as a “job done.”

“It’s always very important to start with a win and also the difference of goals,” said Capellas.

The 57-year-old Capellas also said he is excited to play Tajikistan next following a scintillating performance.

“If we’re gonna start with two wins, then for sure we’ll fight for the first position.”

“I’m very happy as a coach, especially for the players and for everybody in the federation who are working very hard for this success,” he added.

It was the first international match of the men’s football team at the New Clark City Stadium, which became their temporary home venue due to ongoing pitch renovations at the historic Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The New Clark City Stadium featured natural grass, providing a refreshing change of scenery from the Rizal Memorial Stadium, which has artificial turf. 

“If we want to double up football in the Philippines, we need [to] increase the level of natural grasses, more fields with high level natural grasses, it’s the future of football,” shared Capellas.

He explained that having natural grass lessens the risk of injuries and boosts the performance of the players.

“The ball rolls faster, it’s easy to move the ball, to find the spaces, and when the field is in very good condition, everybody wins.”

The opening-day victory puts the Filipinos on top of Group A with 3 points and a +3 goal difference, while Maldives falls to the bottom of the standings with 0 points and a -3 goal difference.

Tajikistan, meanwhile, is closely behind the Philippines with 3 points and a +1 goal difference after earning a 1-0 win against Timor Leste.

Both the Philippines, ranked 150th in the latest FIFA world rankings, and world No. 104 Tajikistan have a chance to firmly claim the first seed in Group A as they battle each other on June 10 for the second match day of the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers. – Rappler.com