BANDUNG – The Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT) beat Thailand, 2-1, in its final Group B match of the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup – Elite Division at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium.
Bjorn Kristensen scored twice, including the go-ahead goal in the 68th minute. The Philippines finished the tournament with four points, from one win, one draw and one loss.
“It was a good way to finish the tournament, and I’m happy for the players. The team did what it needed to do against a strong opponent,” said PFF President John Gutierrez.
The Philippines attacked early, taking the lead in the 3rd minute when Kristensen finished from 12 yards off a heel pass by Randy Schneider.
Kristensen had another effort in the 4th that sailed out, Andre Leipold’s strike in the 7th was saved by Thailand goalkeeper Kampon Pathomakkakul, and Kenji Nishioka’s missed an open shot in the 20th minute.
Thailand then equalized in the 55th minute when Iklas Sanron lobbed a finish from top right from a Seksan Ratree through ball.
Unfazed, PMNFT countered as Kristensen had a shot saved by Kampon in the 56th, Kritsada Kaman stopped a Nishioka attack in the 59th, and goalkeeper Michael Falkesgaard denied Jude Soonsup-Bell in a one-on-one in the 64th.
The winner came in the 68th minute. Leipold chased down a ball along the right sideline, skillfully beat Chaiyaphon Otton on the 1v1, and set up Kristensen, who finished for the 2-1 lead.
The goal put Kristensen level with Patrick Reichelt and Chieffy Caligdong as the second all-time leading scorer in PMNFT history, surpassing the 14 goals of Filipino legend Paulino Alcantara.
Falkesgaard secured the win, punching out a Chanathip Songkrasin corner in the 82nd minute and stopping Teerasak Poeiphimai inside the six-yard box in the 83rd. He caught Thailand’s final lob in the 90+4th minute at the whistle.
“Thailand is one of the most successful teams in the region, so this win means a lot. We also know where we fell short in the first two matches, and that is what we need to work on,” Gutierrez said.
The Philippines opened the tournament with a 0-1 loss to Vietnam on September 26. The PMNFT had more possession and goal chances in that match but could not score. On September 29, it drew 2-2 with Pakistan after leading by two goals at halftime.
Saturday’s result is the PMNFT’s second win over Thailand in four meetings since the 2024 ASEAN Championship. The first came on Rizal Day 2024 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, a 2-1 win on a last-minute goal by Kike Linares that ended a 52-year losing spell against the Thais.
“We thank the players for giving their all for our country. We also thank the coaching staff and management, the Filipino fans in Bandung who cheered, making the team feel like it was a home game, and everyone who watched our games at home,” Gutierrez said.
