Azkals Makes Historic Win over Bahrain in World Cup Qualifier

The Azkals, the Philippine national men’s football team, last night made a first successful kick in its long journey toward the World Cup dream following a 2-1 scoring upset over Bahrain on Thursday at Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan.

Showing off what observers touted as its strongest lineup ever, Azkals stood toe-to-toe against the Middle Eastern side during the first half. Turning up the heat was Misagh Bahadoran breaking the spell at the 51st minute with a goal off a Phil Younghusband assist during the second half. The team’s striker Javier Patino followed that up with a score at the 59th minute for a commanding 2-nil advantage.

The Azkals dominated play the rest of the way, keeping Bahrain at bay but Bahrain managed to put a damper on the Philippine party, scoring in extra time for the final result.

It was the Philippines’ first-ever win against Bahrain in international play, giving the country three points in Group H that also features Uzbekistan, North Korea, and Yemen, in the first two rounds of home-and-away matches, GMA NEws ONline reported.

The top two squads in the group moving on to the third round of the qualifiers, it added.

Source: GMA News Online