In the evening of October 14, the Philippine Men’s National Football Team was able to beat Timor Leste to top the Group A standings of AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers at the New Clark City Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.
Outplayed and Outclassed in the First Half
From the opening whistle, the Filipinos pressed aggressively, creating early chances including a near goal by Jefferson Tabinas, whose strike hit the woodwork.
Photo Credits: Philippine Football Federation
Both sides exchanged attacking spells, with goalkeepers Kevin Ray Mendoza and Junildo Manuel Pereira busy between the posts. Despite the Philippines dominating possession, it was Timor-Leste who broke the deadlock just before halftime.
In the 45th minute, João Rangel stunned the home crowd after perfectly controlling a diagonal pass, dribbling into space, and curling a powerful shot over Mendoza and into the top corner to give Timor-Leste a 1–0 halftime lead.
Jefferson Tabina, Bjørn Kristensen and Jarvey Gayoso to the Rescue
In the 2nd Half of action, the hosts wasted no time in responding.
Barely a minute after the restart, Tabinas made amends for his earlier miss, converting a corner kick in the 46th minute to level the match at 1–1 and ignite a wave of momentum for the Philippines.
Photo Credits: Philippine Football Federation
With their rhythm restored, the Filipinos continued to press forward relentlessly, testing the Timor-Leste defense from all angles. The breakthrough came in the 70th minute, when Bjørn Kristensen, who scored 4 goals in the first leg, pounced on a cross from Jesper Nyholm and fired from close range to put the Philippines ahead, 2–1.
Timor-Leste tried to mount a late response, pushing forward in search of an equalizer, but the Philippine defense held firm.
Photo Credits: Philippine Football Federation
As the match entered stoppage time, substitute Jarvey Gayoso capitalized on a defensive lapse to slot in the insurance goal in the 90th minute. The goal was Gayoso’s fourth in his 30th international appearance, as he calmly finished off a loose ball following a failed clearance inside the box.
FINAL SCORE: PHILIPPINES 3 – 1 TIMOR LESTE
The Man, The Myth, The Future – Bjørn Kristensen
Kristensen’s finish marked his 13th international goal and his eighth in four matches in the ongoing qualifiers, solidifying his status as the tournament’s top scorer.
“This is a good six points for the team,” said the 23 year old after the match.
“We know Timor-Leste is a good team. Good system. We trust each other and I’m very proud of the team.”
Up Next: Last 2 Matches in November and March 2026
The win capped off a powerful turnaround after the Philippines conceded first, marking their third victory in four matches and maintaining their unbeaten run in Group A.
Photo Credits: AFC Website
It also completed a sweep of their back-to-back fixtures against Timor-Leste, following a 4–1 away win last Thursday (October 10) in Darwin, Australia.
The PMNFT is now 1 game from ending the year with a winning streak in the Qualifiers as they defeated Maldives last March 25 and ended up having a Draw against Tajikistan last June 10.
With the result, the Philippines climbed to the top of Group A with 10 points and a +8 goal difference, edging Tajikistan (10 points, +6 GD), which defeated Maldives 3–0 earlier in the day. Timor-Leste slipped to third with three points, while the Maldives remained at the bottom with none.
Screenshot from: AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Fixtures & Standings
The Filipinos will now turn their attention to their final two matches all on the road with them facing the Maldives on November 18 in Malé.
And against Tajikistan in their home turf on March 31, 2026 as they continue their push to clinch qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
