The Philippine Men’s U23 National Football Team will compete in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Tajikistan next week, marking their first action since the U23 ASEAN Championship Mandiri Cup.
Young stars Sandro Reyes and Santi Rublico are not just heading to Tajikistan—they’re carrying the dreams of Filipino football onto the Asian stage.
Reyes and Rublico headline the 24-man roster for the Philippine Men’s U23 National Football Team, who will compete in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers starting next week.
Alongside forward Alex Monis, the roster blends local and overseas talent, including goalkeepers Nicholas Guimaraes, Jose Alfonso Gonzalez, and Cesar Iñigo Castro III, as well as field players Isaiah Fariq Alakiu, Karl Absalon, Kamil Jaser Amirul, Otu Abang Banatao, Ramil Bation III, and Jian Vinz Caraig.
Rounding out the team are Dov Anthony Misael Cariño, Uriel Dalapo, Gabriel Guimaraes, Noah River Leddek, John Albert Luis Lucero, Selwyn Nickos Mamon, Javier Alessandro Mariona, Gavin Muens, Antoine Ortega, Jared Alexander Peña, Jaime Rosquillo, and Zachary Taningco—all under the guidance of newly-appointed head coach Michael Martinez Alvarez.
Before taking over the U23 team, Alvarez was a national team selector and U14 coach for the Chinese Football Association, focusing on identifying and developing young talent.
“We are confident in the squad selected for the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. This team, a mix of top talent from both the Philippines and abroad, is ready to compete,” PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez said in a statement.
He added, “We believe they have what it takes to perform at the highest level and advance to the Asian Cup, building on their impressive run in the ASEAN semifinals.”
The U23 squad is coming off a fourth-place finish in the ASEAN Under-23 Championship last July, narrowly missing a podium finish after a 3-1 loss to Thailand. They reached the semifinals of that tournament for the first time since its inception in 2005.
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This time, the Philippines will open Group K play against Syria on September 3, followed by matches with Tajikistan on September 7 and Nepal on September 9.
Only the 11 group winners and four best runners-up will advance to the tournament proper, set for January 7–25 in Saudi Arabia.