By: Gil Moriones
MANILA — The Philippine Men’s National Football Team will face another must-win match against Tajikistan in March 2026 after the Nationals managed only two goals in their win over Maldives at the National Football Stadium in Malé on Tuesday evening (Philippine time).
Earlier, Tajikistan routed already-eliminated Timor Leste, 5–0, in Darwin, Australia, taking the lead in Group A with a superior goal difference of 11 compared to PMNFT’s 10, although both teams share 13 points.
Jefferson Tabinas opened the scoring with a header off an accurate corner from Randy Schneider in the 24th minute, while Sandro Reyes struck the Philippines’ second goal with a quick turnaround finish in the 37th minute following an assist from Jarvey Gayoso.
Maldives’ disciplined defense held the Philippines scoreless in the second half, with the closest attempt coming from Dylan Demunyk, whose shot was saved by goalkeeper Mohammed Faisal.
The Philippines now heads into another must-win match against Tajikistan to secure the top seed in Group A, which would mean qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
This match also marked the first clean sheet for Kevin Ray Mendoza in the Asian Cup Qualifiers since the start of the campaign.
The last time the Philippines faced Tajikistan in Asian Cup Qualifiers was on March 27, 2018, when the Nationals won at Rizal Memorial Stadium to clinch their historic first Asian Cup appearance.
