Philippines opens ASEAN Cup campaign with narrow loss to Vietnam

The Philippine Men’s National Football Team opened its campaign in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 with a narrow 1-0 loss to Vietnam on Saturday at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in West Java, Indonesia.

Nguyen Dinh Bac scored the match’s lone goal in the 25th minute, firing a right-footed finish past Philippine goalkeeper Kevin Ray Mendoza after a pass from midfield split the Philippine backline.

The Philippines thought it had found a dramatic equalizer in the 83rd minute when Kenji Nishioka latched onto a pass from teammate Sandro Reyes.

However, the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

The result moved Vietnam to second place in Group B with three points and a plus-one goal difference, behind Thailand, which opened the matchday with a 4-0 victory over Pakistan.

All four Group B teams will return to action on Tuesday at the same venue. The Philippines will face Pakistan at 5 p.m. Manila time, followed by Vietnam’s clash with Thailand at 7:30 p.m.

Only the top team in Group B will advance to the championship round to face the winner of Group A.

Meanwhile, the teams that finish second in their respective groups will meet in the bronze medal match.

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