PHL nears AFC Asian Cup berth after blanking Maldives

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT) bagged a huge win after dominating Maldives, 2-0, in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers on Nov. 18, 2025, at the Maldives National Football Stadium.

With the lopsided victory, the PMNFT has just boosted its chances of entering the main draw of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, needing only a win over Tajikistan, scheduled for March 31, 2026.

Despite setting foot in uncharted territory, the PMNFT dictated the tempo of the match from the outset, penetrating the Maldives’ backline defense at will from the 14th minute of the first half.

Ten minutes after PMNFT’s aggressiveness in finding the net, Jefferson Tabinas delivered, drawing first blood at the 23:34 mark with a sweet header.

During a free kick situation, an on-point delivery to Tabinas, who was waiting on the right side of the pitch, calmly scored the header with little resistance from Maldives.

From that point, the PMNFT ran over Maldives with their quick offensive sets and nearly scored twice, if not for the opposing goalie’s tremendous reflexes.

Just when Maldives thought they could survive the first half trailing only by a point, Sandro Reyes had other plans for the PMNFT after doubling their lead in the 37th minute.

After receiving a rolling pass inside the penalty area, Reyes fooled the defender with a fake right kick, which resulted in a powerful leftie strike.

Leading by two points entering the second half, the PMNFT wrapped up the final 45 minutes with a disciplined defensive approach and prevented Maldives from getting any free lanes in their offensive attempts.

The win helped the PHL improve to four wins and a draw without a loss, matching the record of Tajikistan.