MANILA — The Philippine U23 men’s football team closed out its AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign in style, thrashing Nepal, 4-0, on Tuesday night in Tajikistan to secure a historic six-point finish — the country’s best-ever in the tournament.
The Filipinos dictated the pace early and finally broke through in the 33rd minute as Otu Banatao headed home a delivery from skipper Sandro Reyes. Javier Mariona doubled the lead six minutes later with a cool penalty conversion.
Nepal’s lone chance came in the 75th minute, but a diving stop from goalkeeper Nicholas Guimaraes denied Abinash Syangtan. Moments later, substitute Dov Cariño pounced on a rebound to make it 3-0, before Reyes sealed the emphatic win with a curling free kick from 25 yards.
“The Philippine U23 men’s national football team clinched a historic 4-0 victory over Nepal in the U23 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, finishing the tournament with a record six points,” the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) declared. “This landmark achievement marks the team’s best performance to date.”
The resounding win capped a breakthrough campaign that showcased the growth of Philippine youth football on the Asian stage./PN
