Inquirer
PH football coach Saintfiet sees ‘Surprise in Manila’ happening
The Philippine men's national football team lost their first FIFA World Cup Qualifier match under new coach Tom Saintfiet, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat against Iraq.
Iraq secured the win with a late goal in the 84th minute by Mohanad Ali Kadhim.
Despite the loss, Saintfiet expressed pride in his team's performance, acknowledging a momentary lapse in concentration as the cause of the goal.
The coach is optimistic about the team's potential and hopes to surprise Iraq in their upcoming match in Manila.
The Philippines has yet to secure a win in this qualifying round, having previously lost to Vietnam and drawn with Indonesia.
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See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
The Philippine men's national football team lost 1-0 to Iraq in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Joint Qualifiers.
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The Philippine men's national football team lost 5-0 to Iraq in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila, with over 10,000 spectators in attendance.
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Philippine men's football coach Tom Saintfiet has apologized for the team's crushing 5-0 defeat against Iraq in the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
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