The Philippine national men’s football team refused to get crushed despite the humiliating 0-5 setback it suffered at the hands of Iraq in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers late Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
Philippines head coach Tom Saintfiet remains hopeful, saying that if they sweep their last two matches in the second round, they can still finish in the second spot of Group F that will keep them in the race for a slot in the World Cup that will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026.
The Lions of Mesopotamia, meanwhile, have already formalized their claim of the top spot and advanced to the third round after winning their fourth consecutive game.
With Iraq already in after posting 12 points, the Filipinos, the Indonesians and the Vietnamese will scramble for the second and last remaining spot in the third round of the qualifiers.
Vietnam, however, will be walking wounded as its head coach, Philippe Troussier, was fired in the aftermath of its 0-3 loss to Indonesia also on Tuesday.
It was the second loss of the Vietnamese to the Indonesians, prompting angry fans to chant and demand for the Frenchman’s resignation.
“Mr. Philippe Troussier thanked the support from the players, clubs, football federation as well as the fans,” Vietnam’s football federation said in a statement.
“He also apologized to Vietnamese fans because the team’s work did not meet expectations.”
The vastly experienced Troussier, who has managed two dozen teams or countries, was also Vietnam’s U23 coach.
Troussier signed a three-year deal to lead the senior national team in February last year, saying he wanted to take them to the first World Cup in their history.
Saintfiet stressed that “we’re not yet dead.”
“For as long as there’s still hope, we’re not yet dead. In June, we have to be ready for the next battles. Hopefully, we will be strong enough to face these opponents who, in my eyes, are more of our level compared to Iraq,” Saintfiet said during the post-match press briefing.
“Before the June matches, we could have a training camp in May, possibly in Saudi Arabia, for 10 days with friendly game for an opportunity to develop these players.”
Saintfiet said their chances in their matches in June will be much better than what they had against the powerhouse Iraqis.
In fact, players are expected to be in tip-top shape around that time as the Philippine Football League will start on 6 April.
Saintfiet said they will work hard in finding talented young players both locally and internationally in a bid to boost the national squad as it makes a final push for the World Cup qualifiers.
“I had no chance to watch much of Philippine football in the past months. By 6 or 7 April, the league will start and I will be there,” Saintfiet said.
“On the other hand, we contacted a lot of foreign-based players last month who play at a high level.”
