PH men’s football salvages draw against Tajikistan in Asian Cup qualifier

Bjørn Kristensen nets a brace to help the Philippine men’s football team secure a valuable point at home against Tajikistan and ensures coach Carles Cuadrat avoids a loss in his debut at the helm

MANILA, Philippines – An exciting and physical encounter marked the debut of interim head coach Carles Cuadrat. 

In its second match in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying tournament, the Philippine men’s football team endured a 2-2 draw to Tajikistan on Tuesday, June 10, at the New Clark City Stadium.

Philippines forward Bjørn Kristensen netted a brace to help the home team salvage a point and complete the comeback in the second half. 

Kristensen recorded his first goal in the 28th minute with a diving header, capitalizing on a rebound from Gerrit Holtmann’s free kick, which had initially beaten the goalkeeper, but rattled the bar. 

His second goal came at the 79’ mark when Tajikistan substitute Olimzoda Fathullo committed a turnover near their penalty box. 

The 23-year-old Kristensen intercepted the ball and raced down the middle to drill in a right-footed shot past Yatimov Rustam, Tajikistan’s goalkeeper. 

“I feel we should win this game, the first half from us wasn’t good enough,” said Kristensen after the match. 

He added, “The second half was good, we should win it there, but the things we do in the first half was not good enough for the team, we have a lot of quality.”

Meanwhile, Tajikistan’s goals were scored by two midfielders in Mabatshoev Shervoni and Umarbaev Parvizdzhon. 

Jefferson Tabinas’ loose headed clearance fell to Mabatshoev Shervoni, who launched a right-footed shot from near the penalty arc to make it 1-1 in the 30th minute. 

Parvizdzhon, meanwhile, converted a penalty kick with a right-footed shot to the top left corner at the 42’ mark, giving them a 2-1 advantage heading into the halftime break. 

Jesper Nyholm conceded the spot kick after fouling Ehson Panshanbe inside the penalty box. 

Despite both sides creating numerous chances on goal, only four goals were ultimately scored after 90 minutes. 

The yellow cards, however, easily surpassed that number as the referee, Hasan Akrami, found himself frequently reaching for his pocket, issuing multiple bookings for both teams. 

Following the 2-2 draw versus Tajikistan, the Philippines, ranked 146th in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings, remains on top of Group A with 4 points and a +3 goal difference.

World No. 104 Tajikistan, on the other hand, is closely behind at second place with 4 points and a +1 goal difference. 

Timor Leste, which beat the Maldives, 1-0, earlier Tuesday, stays at third with 3 points. 

Looking ahead, the Philippines will shoot for a second win in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying tournament in October, facing the 197th-ranked Timor Leste next. – Rappler.com