 |
| In what seemed like a repeat of the M7 shocker, Team Liquid Philippines-backed Sibol MLBB squad was ousted by Indonesia, powered by the core of Alter Ego. Sibol/POC Media Pool |
MANILA—With Indonesia getting a chokehold on its jungle and stripping away nearly every resource, Sibol’s gold-medal campaign unraveled in the decisive game as the Philippines fell to a stunning 1-2 quarterfinal defeat in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang event of the 2026 Asian Games on Wednesday at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan.
Sibol entered the quarterfinals riding high after sweeping Pool C with convincing victories over Jordan and Kazakhstan, but Indonesia's relentless aggression repeatedly disrupted the Philippines' rhythm from the opening minutes.
After dropping Game 1, the Philippine side weathered Indonesia's early pressure and fought back strongly in Game 2 to force a decider.
The momentum, however, swung back to Indonesia in Game 3 as its suffocating jungle control left Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno's Nolan starved of farm and levels.
By the 10-minute mark, Indonesia had already taken six turrets, three turtles, and a Lord while building a 7,000-gold advantage, leaving Sibol with little room to stage another comeback.
The Philippine side eventually fell in just 17 minutes, abruptly ending what had been a promising campaign for the one-time world champion and four-time MPL Philippines champion core.
KarlTzy, widely regarded as the greatest of all time, found himself neutralized when Indonesia repeatedly invaded and controlled his jungle, preventing him from reaching the resources needed to make Nolan effective.
“Sobrang dami naming errors and tingin ko hindi namin nalaro ‘yung laro talaga namin. Hindi ko expect na matatalo kami,” Nepomuceno said in the post-match interview.
The Sibol roster featured Nepomuceno alongside Sanford Vinuya, Alston "Sanji" Pabico, Jaypee Dela Cruz, Dave "Teddy" Viana, and Duane "Kelra" Pillas as the 6th man, with the squad's campaign ending just two wins away from the gold-medal match.
Sibol's MLBB exit also closed the book on its Asian Games esports campaign, with the Philippines settling for bronze medals in both Honor of Kings and Pokemon Unite.
Earlier in the day, Sibol’s Identity V squad also saw its Asian Games campaign come to an end in the quarterfinals after a 0-2 loss to Malaysia.
The Philippines never found its footing, suffering back-to-back 1-8 defeats as the Malaysians seized control from the opening game and never let go, sending Sibol crashing out of medal contention.
