Mandiri Cup bronze slips away, but Philippines U23 exit with heads held high

July 29 ------ The Philippine Men’s Under-23 National Team ended its historic ASEAN U-23 Mandiri Cup 2025 campaign on a bittersweet note, falling short in the bronze medal match with a 3-1 loss to Thailand at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. While the final result was a tough pill to swallow, it should not overshadow the team’s landmark achievement—becoming the first U-23 squad from the Philippines to advance past the group stage and record the country’s best points tally in five appearances at the tournament.

Down 2-0, the Filipinos found a glimmer of hope in the 79th minute when Otu Banatao headed in a goal to cut the deficit. But any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed. Just seven minutes later, Seksan Ratree—subbed in for Siraphop Wandee in the 85th minute—sealed the win for Thailand with a goal in the 86th, restoring the War Elephants’ two-goal cushion and putting the result beyond doubt.

Thailand showcased their quality earlier in the match with two well-taken goals: Phanthamit Praphanth broke the deadlock in the 29th minute with a close-range finish past Philippine goalkeeper Nicholas Guimarães, followed by a superb curling strike from Candee in the 74th that left the Filipinos with a mountain to climb. Despite falling short of the podium, the Philippines U-23 team will look to build on this strong showing as they shift their focus to the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, set to take place this December in Thailand.

Philippines XI: Guimarães (GK), Muens (C), Villanueva, Amirul, Banatao, Cariño, Lucelo, Rosquillo, Caraig, Dalapo, Mariona.

Thailand XI: Phosaman (GK), Boonlha, Suksakit, Burapha, Prachuabmon, Wandee, Praphanth, Otton, Sienkrathok, Maneekorn, Noiwong.

Source: manilatimes.net