Bjørn Martin Kristensen (10) of the PMNFT during their match versus Tajikistan. | PFF photo
CAPAS, TARLAC, Philippines – The Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT) battled Tajikistan to a thrilling 2–2 draw in front of 10,000 passionate home supporters at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium on Tuesday night, June 10, in their second group stage match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
The result leaves both nations level on four points atop Group A, with the Philippines holding a slight edge due to superior goal difference. Timor-Leste trails closely with three points, while Maldives remain winless and eliminated from contention after two defeats.
It was Filipino-Norwegian striker Bjørn Martin Kristensen who once again proved his value, scoring twice to rescue a vital point for the hosts. His clinical performance was a timely response to Tajikistan’s aggressive and resilient showing.
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Kristensen opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a powerful header off a cross, igniting the home crowd. But Tajikistan responded almost immediately. Just two minutes later, Shervoni Mabatshoyev struck the equalizer with a composed finish inside the box to level the match at 1–1.
The visitors then stunned the local fans before halftime when Parvizdzhon Umarbayev converted a penalty in the 42nd minute, putting Tajikistan ahead 2–1 going into the break.
Pushed by the crowd and the urgency to recover, the Philippines came out on the front foot in the second half, dominating possession and pressing for an equalizer. Tajikistan, however, responded with physical defending, which saw a flurry of 13 yellow cards in total, issued in a tense second half.
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With momentum on their side, the Philippines will look to take full control of Group A when they face Timor-Leste in a crucial double-header on October 9 and 14.
They close out the group stage with matches against Maldives in November and a much-anticipated rematch with Tajikistan on March 31, 2026.