MANILA – Bjørn Kristensen served as the difference maker as the Philippine men’s football team pulled off a 1-0 upset over Indonesia in the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 on Saturday night at the Manahan Stadium in Surakarta, Indonesia.
The Filipino-Norwegian center-forward calmly converted the decisive penalty in the 63rd minute as the national men’s football team finished the group stage with six points, on one win and three draws.
With the outcome, the Philippine squad also advanced to the final four round of the tournament for the first time since the 2018 edition, where they were coached by Sven-Göran Eriksson and Scott Cooper.
The victory also marked a significant milestone for Team Philippines, as it was their first victory over Indonesia since a 4-0 triumph in the 2014 ASEAN Championship, back when the team was known as the Azkals.
The Philippine team, however, encountered challenges early in the game after starting goalkeeper Patrick Deyto sustained an injury following a collision with an Indonesian player and had to be replaced by Quincy Kammeraad.
The Indonesia, for their part, also faced problems after they were reduced to 10-men after their captain, Muhammad Ferrari, was sent off with a red card for a foul on Philippines skipper Amani Aguinaldo in the 42nd minute.
The Philippine team caught their break in the 63rd minute after Yrick Gallantes was fouled by an Indonesian player while inside the box, which set up for the go-ahead penalty kick from Kristensen.
The Albert Capellas-mentored Philippine men’s football team, however, will have a tough task in the two-leg semifinals round against Group A top-seed Thailand.
The first leg will be held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila on Friday, with the second leg set for December 30 at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok./PN
