Phl booters battle Timorese anew

The Philippines will only have a few days to prepare as they face Timor Leste again on Tuesday in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers at the New Clark City Stadium in Tarlac.

Despite their 4-1 win over the Timorese last Thursday, head coach Carles Cuadrat said they will have to get back to work as they aim to stay in the hunt for the top spot of Group A.

Bjorn Kristensen scored four goals for the Nationals in the game held at Territory Rugby League Stadium in Darwin, Australia.

“So I think that it’s a very good effort, but nothing is done. I mean, we have to play now in a few days at home,” Cuadrat said.

“We don’t have a lot of time to rest, so let’s try to get the team ready for another competitive match.”

Currently, the Philippines has a 2-1-0 win-draw-loss record and shares a similar slate with Tajikistan.

After the rematch with Timor Leste, the Philippines will have two more matches in the third round.

The Nationals will face Maldives on 18 November at the Maldives National Football Stadium in Male before going up against Tajikistan on 31 March 2026.

Only the top teams per group will book their spot for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.

For Kristensen, he hopes to continue his scoring form in the next games.

The Filipino-Norwegian striker currently scored seven goals in the tournament, making him one of the top scorers along with Almoez Ali of Qatar and Son Heung Min of South Korea.