PH bows out of ASEAN Championship with loss to Malaysia

MANILA, August 10 ------ The Philippines will not advance to the knockout stage of the 2026 ASEAN Championship after a 1-0 loss to Malaysia in their final group round game.

The Philippine men's national football team entered the match on the brink of elimination, needing a big win against Malaysia just to have a chance at advancing to the last four. Their hopes were dented in the 16th minute when Pavithran Gunalan fired the hosts ahead, to the delight of the crowd at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium.

Wan Kuzain delivered the cross that Pavithran readily headed past Patrick Deyto for the match's lone goal. The Filipinos had their chances, with Javi Gayoso just missing on a header of his own while Javier Mariona forced a save from Azri Ghani in the 34th minute. But the Malaysian defense proved to be up to the task until the final whistle, and Pavithran's goal was enough to ensure that the hosts advanced to the semifinals.

Thailand topped Group B after winning all four of their games, while Malaysia placed second with three wins and a loss. The Philippines, which made the semis two years ago, languished at fourth in the group with three points, their lone win coming against Laos.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com