Late heartbreak as Azkals fall to Yemen

Azkals forward Javier Patino (#20) could score against Yemen. Danny Pata

The Philippine national men's football team suffered a heartbreaking 1-nil loss to Yemen in their World Cup qualifying match on Thursday at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.

Disaster struck late in the match when the Azkals yielded a goal at the 82nd minute by Ahmed Al Sarori.

The defeat dealt a major blow to the World Cup aspirations of the Philippines, which was hoping for a win to jumpstart their chances at qualifying to the next round.

The Azkals had several chances at goal, including a shot at the 56th minute that ping-ponged inside the box. But heroic goalkeeping from Mohammed Ebrahim Ayash kept the sheets clean for Yemen, allowing them to steal the victory with the late strike.

The Philippines sits at third place in Group H with seven points, behind North Korea (13 points) and Uzbekistan (nine points). Only the winner of the group is guaranteed a spot in the next round along with the four best runners-up from all eight groups. —JST, GMA News