MANILA - The Philippine National Football Team will deal to another historic assignment as they targeted for their comeback to the prestigious Asian Cup after its absence in 2023.
An uphill battle is expected as the 149th rank in the latest FIFA Rankings will face the familiar foes Timor Leste, Maldives, and Tajikistan as they collaborated into Group A of the Qualifying tournament.
Last time that Philippines outing vs. Timor Leste was their big 7-0 win in their meeting through the 2020 AFF Championships (former AFF Suzuki Cup).
While for Maldives, it was a 1-1 card in their last date during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, as Philippines won 2-1 last November 14, 2019 and way back in Manila, it was an 1-1 draw dated June 15, 2021.
Freshly, the Philippines defeated the Tajiks in a 3-0 groove to claim their podium finish in the 2024 Kings Cup in Thailand.
Nevertheless, the Tajikistan's expense was our key to punch the nation's debut appearance in the 2019 Asian Cup after the national XI relinquished them through 2-1 score courtesy from Kevin Ingreso's header and screaming penalty converted by former striker Phil Younghusband.
Here are the other draws:
Group B: Brunei, Bhutan, Yemen, and Lebanon
Group C: Bangladesh, Singapore, Hong Kong China, and India
Group D: Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei, Turkmenistan, and Thailand
Group E: Pakistan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Syria
Group F: Laos, Nepal, Malaysia, and Vietnam
Top teams from Group A to F will complete the cast of the 2027 Asian Cup together with the 18 nations who currently playing in the 3rd Round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, including Indonesia.
The 3rd Round of the Continental Cup qualification will commence starting March 25, 2025 until March 31, 2026, divided into 6 windows, in home-and-away round robin matches.
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