CAPAS, Tarlac – The Philippine men’s football team showcased grit and second-half brilliance as it rallied from behind to beat Timor-Leste, 3–1, and seize the solo lead in Group A of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on Tuesday night at the New Clark City Stadium.
Trailing 0–1 at halftime, the Azkals unleashed a dominant comeback anchored by defender Jefferson Tabinas, striker Bjørn Kristensen, and substitute Jarvey Gayoso to post their third consecutive victory under coach Carlos Cuadrat.
The win pushed the Philippines to 10 points with a +8 goal difference, edging Tajikistan for the top spot on superior scoring.
Timor-Leste drew first blood when João Rangel slipped past the Philippine defense and scored in the 45+1 minute, silencing the home crowd. But the Azkals wasted no time responding — Tabinas equalized just a minute after the restart with a powerful header off a corner kick.
The momentum shifted fully to the Filipinos as Kristensen and Jesper Nyholm led a relentless attack. In the 70th minute, Kristensen, the Fil-Norwegian forward who has been on a scoring tear, calmly slotted home a cross from Nyholm to give the hosts a 2–1 edge.
The goal was Kristensen’s eighth of the tournament, cementing his position as the qualifiers’ top scorer.
“He’s been consistent and clinical. His form is a big reason why we’re winning these games,” coach Cuadrat said after the match.
Timor-Leste failed to recover from the deficit as Amani Aguinaldo, Daisuke Sato, and goalkeeper Neil Etheridge anchored a solid defensive stand in the final minutes.
Deep in stoppage time, Gayoso sealed the victory, finishing a precise through ball from Patrick Reichelt to complete the 3–1 turnaround in the 90+1 minute.
With the triumph, the Azkals moved a step closer to securing an Asian Cup berth. They next face Maldives in November before closing the qualifying round with back-to-back matches against Tajikistan./PN
