Myanmar humiliates PMNFT in ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Fresh off ending a 52-year drought against regional powerhouse Thailand and earning recognition as one of Southeast Asia’s rising football nations, the Philippines endured a humbling loss at home.

The Philippines’ bid for a second straight ASEAN Championship knockout stage campaign hit a brick wall on Tuesday after Myanmar stunned the hosts, 4-1, at the New Clark City Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.

Than Paing scored a brace as Myanmar bounced back from an opening loss to Malaysia to collect its first three points of the tournament under Group B. The loss also marked the Philippines’ first home loss since a World Cup qualifying setback against Iran in 2024.

Playing under heavy downpour, Myanmar took control of the match early with Kyaw Min Oo scoring the first goal at the seventh minute. Oo secured a loose ball inside the box following a corner kick.

The Burmese squad then made it 2-0 after Maung Maung Lwin scored a 30th miunte goal from Than Paing’s pass that swiftly passed through goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad.

Jarvey Gayoso prevented the Philippines a shutout after scoring the team’s first goal two minutes later. Gayoso earned a penalty kick but was later overturned after a video review from the match officials.

Gayoso didn’t give up and finally scored the first and tallied goal for the Philippines at the 68th minute via a Javier Mariona pass to cut the lead to just one, 1-2.

However, Win Naing Tun silenced the Philippines with an 81st minute goal followed by Paing’s brace at the 83rd minute.

Philippines head coach Carles Cuadrat considered the defeat a learning experience for a young squad still adjusting to the physical and tactical demands of international competition according to a report from the Philippine Football Federation website.

He said the team struggled to manage the pitch conditions in the first half, allowing Myanmar to exploit turnovers on the right side, but noted improved combination play once the surface improved. He pointed to gaps in set-piece defending and a lapse on a free kick that led to a Myanmar counterattack as key moments in the match.

Cuadrat added the coaching staff used the tournament to test players from the under-23 pool and the Philippines Football League ahead of the Asian Games in September, and pointed to the substitute appearances of Kenji Nishioka, Rocket Ritata, Martini Rey, and Andres Aldeguer as valuable senior-level experience for the team’s younger players.

Despite the defeat, the Philippines still has a chance to recover as they face Laos in the latter’s capital in Vientiane on August 1, followed by a match against Thailand on August 4 and Malaysia on August 8.

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