Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kathmandu: Philippines coach Thomas Dooley was left disappointed his side were unable to clinch qualification for their first-ever AFC Asian Cup on Tuesday as the Azkals were held to a 0-0 draw by Nepal.
Despite sharing the points, the Philippines continue to lead Group F by two points from Yemen, who shared the points in their game with Tajikistan after it also ended in a scoreless draw.
The results mean the Philippines can qualify to make the AFC Asian Cup debut in the United Arab Emirates in 2019 with a draw in Bacolod against Tajikistan on March 27, with the Central Asian side needing to win to advance.
“Nepal played really well, just as we were anticipating from the home team,” said Dooley. “They played with pace, aggression and purpose.
“We failed to take our clear cut chances, as did our opponents and we have missed a good opportunity to qualify and now we have to wait for the final match.”
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