Philippines eliminated from ASEAN Cup after Malaysia defeat

The Philippines’ bid for a semifinal spot in the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 came to an end after a 1-0 loss to Malaysia on Saturday at Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium.

Needing a convincing victory to keep its knockout-stage hopes alive, the Philippines instead found itself behind early after Malaysia scored in the 16th minute.

Johor Darul Ta'zim II winger Pavithran Gunalan opened the scoring with a header, giving the hosts the advantage they would protect for the remainder of the match.

Malaysia continued to pressure the Philippine defense throughout the contest, forcing goalkeeper Patrick Deyto into several important saves as the Harimau Malaya searched for another goal.

Pavithran nearly doubled Malaysia’s lead late in the match, but Jaime Rosquillo cleared the ball off the goal line with less than 10 minutes remaining to keep the Philippines within reach.

The defeat left the Philippines in fourth place in Group B with three points, ending its hopes of reaching the semifinals and marking the country’s first failure to advance to the tournament’s final four since the 2022 edition.

The Filipinos began the campaign with defeats against Myanmar and Thailand before securing their only victory against Laos. The loss to Malaysia officially ended their qualification hopes.

Malaysia finished second in Group B with nine points and advanced to the semifinals alongside Thailand, which completed a perfect group-stage run after beating Myanmar, 2-0.

Myanmar ended the group stage in third place with six points, while Laos finished without a point.

Malaysia will face Vietnam in the semifinals, while Thailand will meet Singapore.

Midfielder Sandro Reyes admitted that the Philippines learned valuable lessons from the campaign, particularly the importance of starting strong in a tournament format.

“So yeah, it's definitely a learning experience that we cannot start these tournaments on the wrong foot, because very quickly it can turn — it can become very difficult for you in this tournament,” Reyes said.

“It's tough to catch up in a group, and you want to start off on a good note so that you're in the top two positions throughout the weeks.”

Reyes also praised the commitment of the players who sacrificed time with their clubs and families to represent the national team.

“I think we're a group of guys that did everything in this tournament,” Reyes said. “Players leaving their clubs, sacrificing time with their families... everyone gave their best, and that's all we can ask for at the end of the day.”

The Philippines will now shift its focus to the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup next month as it looks to bounce back from its early exit.