PHILIPPINE men’s football team absorbed a 2-0 defeat to Vietnam on Friday night in the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, putting its campaign in serious danger.
The two sides battled to a scoreless draw through the opening half before Vietnam finally broke the deadlock after the restart.
Nguyen Thanh Nhan scored the breakthrough goal, giving Vietnam the lead and forcing the Philippines to chase the match.
The Vietnamese side then secured the victory when Nguyen Le Phat found the net in the 87th minute.
The result left the Philippine U23 squad winless after two Group C matches. The team now faces a difficult path to the knockout stage, with only the top two finishers in the group advancing.
The Philippines will close its group-stage assignment against Kuwait next week. (Adrian Co)
