Bangladesh beat Philippines by 1-0 to keep hopes alive

Bangladesh beat Philippines by 1-0 goal in their 2nd Group B match of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup' 2025 Qualifiers at the Olympic Stadium in Phenom Penh, Cambodia on Wednesday night, reports UNB.

Bangladesh, which suffered a 0-1 defeat against hosts Cambodia in their first match, returned to winning form in the day's second match to stay in the race for the final round.

After the day's matches, Afghanistan and Cambodia dominated Group B, each securing six points from two matches, while Bangladesh and the Philippines followed with three points each from two and three matches, respectively. Macau remained at the bottom of the five-team Group B without any points after three matches.

In the day's match, Shafiq Rahman scored the match-winning goal for Bangladesh in the 18th minute (1-0). Bangladesh fielded their Australian-born player Arham, which drew significant attention from the opposing players.

Bangladesh earned a free kick at the top of the box in the 17th minute when an opponent defender fouled the onrushing forward Arham. Shafiq Rahman converted it into a goal with a well-placed shot.

Earlier, custodian Alif Rahman saved Bangladesh from conceding a goal by stopping a penalty in the 15th minute. Alif also thwarted numerous Philippine attacks, enabling Bangladesh to secure a creditable win.

In the remaining group matches, Bangladesh will face Macau on October 25 and Afghanistan on October 27.