Philippines falls short of AFC Asian Cup qualification after 1-1 draw with Tajikistan

The Philippine men’s national football team fell short of qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup after settling for a 1-1 draw against host country Tajikistan in their final third round qualifier on Tuesday night at the Hisor Central Stadium.

National team debutant Raphael Obermair made an immediate impact, setting up the Philippines’ opening goal in the 19th minute.

Tajikistan, however, responded just before halftime, with Sheriddin Boboev finding the equalizer less than five minutes before the break.

Eventually, Tajikistan held off the Philippines to secure a spot in the AFC Asian Cup by virtue of a superior goal difference, as both teams finished the third round of the qualifiers with identical 4-2-0 (win-draw-loss) records.

READ MORE | Philippines at the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers

The result marks the second consecutive edition of the Asian Cup that the Philippines will miss, following their tournament debut in 2019.

The next edition of the AFC Asian Cup is scheduled to be held in 2032.

—JKC, GMA News