By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Philippine Azkals earned an outright seat for the 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers after settling for a tie against Maldives, 1-1 in the joint-qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup.
The Filipino booters were off to a hot start after Angel Guirado broke through the scoring column in the 19th minute of the first half.
Guirado and the rest of the Azkals capitalized on a costly defensive mistake by a defender from Maldives after fumbling the ball possession in a ball clearance.
The Azkals looked to add another one but the Maldives defense began to pick up and they were able to match the intensity of the PH offense.
Five minutes after the Guirado connection, Maldives caught an opening in the PH defense and equalized the score, one apiece.
The Maldives goal was off a tremendous chemistry play from Hamza Mohamed, Ali Fasir, and Ali Haisam that fooled the Azkals defense.
Despite the tie, the Philippines are still off to the third round of the 2023 Asian Cup after earning wins against Guam and Maldives two years ago.
