By Peter Atencio
The Palestine Knights struck with four goals for a 4-0 triumph over the Philippine Azkals national men’s football team on Tuesday in the third round of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup qualification in Ulaanbaatar.
This allowed the Knights to sweep their three-game assignment in Group B and reach the tournament proper.
The Azkals should have been knocked out of contention with the loss, but host Mongolia later turned back Yemen, 2-0, in a late afternoon game, thereby keeping the PH team’s chances alive of qualifying via a complicated tiebreak system.
Yemen’s misfortune has kept the Philippines in contention for one of six qualifications seats meant for second placers in each of the six groups.
The Knights, who swept their three-game assignment in Group B, have made qualification with group stage leaders Jordan (A), Uzbekistan (C), Hong Kong (D), Bahrain (E) and Tajikistan (F).
The composition of the second place finishers is still being finalized with Thailand (C), Kyrgyzstan (F) and India (D) taking their first three slots with six tiebreak points.
The Philippines is still seeking to finalize its qualification on account of its 1-1-1 win-draw-loss slate for four points.
The Philippines can clinch a seat if Malaysia loses to Bangladesh to be in the Top 5 of Best Runner-up teams or if Indonesia bows to Nepal.
Chihadeh Saleh knocked in the first goal for Palestine in the 31st minute.
Ten minutes later, Tamer Seyam hit the second marker, before Mohammed Yamin made another in the 55th. The fourth goal came from Mahmoud Warda in the 71st minute.
Meanwhile, Ganbayar Ganbold scored the two goals for Mongolia in the eighth and 53rd minutes.