THE Philippine men’s national football team has proven itself in international competitions, hoping to make an impact again in the 2026 ASEAN Championship-Hyundai Cup this July.
National head coach Carles Cuadrat said this after witnessing the draw of lots held in Jakarta on Thursday evening.
“This team has already shown in the past that we can achieve these challenges, and in the ASEAN Championship Hyundai Cup 2026 we will have together another opportunity to demonstrate our growth as a football nation,” said Cuadrat
The Philippine side seeks to have a better showing, with their preparations going on for the last two years.
The team is building on the momentum of a historic campaign in 2024, which saw them post a home-leg semis win against regional powerhouse Thailand, when the tournament was still known as the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
“This team has already shown in the past that we can achieve these challenges, and in the ASEAN Championship Hyundai Cup 2026 we will have together another opportunity to demonstrate our growth as a football nation,” said Cuadrat.
The Filipino booters are with with Thailand in Group B of this year’s edition, along with Malaysia, Myanmar, and Laos.
The Philippines had a milestone campaign in the previous edition when the Filipino booters won over the seven-time ASEAN champion, Thailand, 2-1, in their home game during the two-round semifinals at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
“Although we all know how difficult it will be to achieve one of the first two places, we are also aware that we are a very competitive team that we can be fighting for classification until the last game as happened in the last edition 2024,” said Cuadrat.
The national team is currently preparing for a match against Tajikistan in the final qualifying game of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup on March 31 at the Pamir Stadium in Dushanbe.
