The Philippine Under-16 Boys National Team yielded to Indonesia, 0-2, in their opening match of the AFF U16 Championship 2022 at the Maguwoharjo Stadium in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
An own goal from Jared Peña in the fourth minute along with a 38th minute strike from Arkhan Purwanto lifted Indonesia to their first win in Group A.
“After three years, this is their first international match,” said head coach Christopher Pedimonte. “We can understand the nervousness of the players, but the positive sign is that we fought back in the second half and we had our chances earlier.”
The Philippines next face Vietnam on Wednesday at 4:00 PM at the Sultan Agung Bantul Stadium.