Manila Digger earns late draw in AFC semis

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Digger FC stayed alive in its bid for a historic AFC Challenge League final berth after grinding out a 1–1 draw against Cambodia’s Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC in the first leg of their 2025–26 semifinal on April 9 at Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh. Pa Ousman Gai headed in the equalizer in the 85th minute after Tiago Alves had put the hosts ahead in the fourth.

The result kept the Philippines Football League side firmly in contention ahead of the return leg in Manila, with the tie still level after 90 minutes of a tense first-leg contest. The Asian Football Confederation said Manila Digger’s late goal left the semifinal “in the balance,” underscoring the significance of the away result.

The Philippine Football Federation cast the performance as another sign of the club’s rise on the regional stage. In its statement, the federation said Manila Digger, which it described as running second in the 2025–26 PFL table, showed the resilience and competitiveness of Philippine club football in Asia.

PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez linked the comeback to Araw ng Kagitingan, which is observed every April 9 in the Philippines. “On Araw ng Kagitingan, Manila Digger FC showed the true meaning of ‘giting’ by fighting until the final whistle and refusing to yield in the face of adversity. Their performance is a proud representation of Filipino heroism, and we stand firmly behind them as they pursue a historic place in the AFC club final.”

Svay Rieng seized control early when Portuguese striker Alves pounced on a weak defensive clearance by Modou Manneh from a corner sequence and converted in the fourth minute. The home side then continued to push for a second goal, but Manila Digger goalkeeper Omar Njie produced several crucial saves to keep the deficit at one.

Manila Digger still found openings before the break. Pa Ousman Gai, David Sambou and Kenji Nishioka each threatened as the visitors tried to answer before halftime, even as Svay Rieng maintained pressure for much of the first half.

The second half turned into a more tactical and physical battle. Svay Rieng continued to threaten through Alves and Connor Shields, while Manila Digger looked for a breakthrough from distance and from set-piece situations.

The breakthrough for the Filipino side finally came in the 85th minute. Manneh sent in a cross from the right flank, and Gai rose inside the box to power a header into the bottom corner for the 1–1 equalizer.

Gai said the visitors’ refusal to fold made the difference late in the match. “In the first half, we didn’t capitalize on our chances. But fortunately, on the dying minutes, we managed to equalize and we never gave up,” said Gai.

He also pointed to the scale of the occasion in Phnom Penh. “It’s two legs. Absolutely, we did incredible today because we played in front of 16,000 fans and we ended up drawing.”

Manila Digger head coach Kim Versales said the performance left room for improvement despite the result. “Our performance was not 100 percent, particularly in the first half where we had chances but didn’t convert. They capitalized on our mistakes, but I knew our players would respond because of their fighting spirit. We just kept playing to our strengths,” he added.

The draw was the second straight stalemate between the two clubs in this season’s AFC Challenge League after their 2–2 result in the group stage in Phnom Penh on Nov. 1, 2025. PFF has also described Manila Digger as the first Philippine club to reach the AFC Challenge League semifinals, adding more weight to the second leg.

The deciding leg is set for April 16 at Rizal Memorial Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. PFF has urged Filipino supporters to fill the stands as Manila Digger tries to secure a place in the final and deliver another milestone for Philippine football.