The Philippine U21 men’s football team is headed to the medal rounds of the Southeast Asian Games for the first time since 1991.
BANGKOK — The Philippines ended its drought of semifinal appearances in the Southeast Asian Games with an emphatic stunner over defending champions Indonesia, 1-0, to sweep Group C in the men’s football tournament at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai.
The U21 team first dazzled with a 2-nil win over Myanmar, which was also a historic feat in of itself before eventually winning over Indonesia to finish atop the group standings with six points.
Otu Banatao scored a header from a throw-in during added time in the first half which put the Filipinos ahead of the defending champions just before the break.
Spurred on by their goal, the U21 squad were able to parry any chances from the Indonesia side to hold on for the victory.
This marks the first semifinal appearance for the Philippine men’s team since 1991 — which the country hosted.
In that edition, the Philippines fell short of the podium, losing 2-nil to Singapore in the third place match.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.