BANDUNG: Pakistan will be looking to put their disappointing opening performance behind them when they face the Philippines in their second FIFA ASEAN Cup Division I Group ‘B’ match at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium on Tuesday.

Pakistan were beaten 4-0 by Thailand in their opening game on Saturday, while the Philippines also began their campaign with defeat, going down 1-0 to Vietnam. Both sides will therefore be seeking their first points of the tournament.

The Philippines, ranked 135th in the FIFA rankings, impressed despite their narrow defeat against Vietnam and will provide another stern test for Pakistan, who are ranked 198th and are participating in a FIFA event for the first time.

The only previous competitive meeting between the two sides came at the 2013 Philippines Peace Cup, where the Philippines won 3-1.

Pakistan coach Nolberto Solano is expecting an improved performance from his players after the heavy defeat against Thailand.

“I have belief in my side that we can do better than the opening game,” Solano said. “This is an opportunity for us to learn and gain from the exposure that the FIFA ASEAN Cup is offering us.”

Pakistan have held two training sessions in Bandung since the Thailand game, including an intensive official session on Monday, as Solano looks to address the shortcomings exposed in the opener.

The Philippines, meanwhile, will take confidence from their performance against Vietnam and are expected to be strengthened by the return of Sandro Reyes to the starting line-up.

Pakistan will hope their attacking flashes from the Thailand match can be turned into more sustained pressure, while captain Abdullah Iqbal will again be important in organising the defence.

Veteran goalkeeper Yousuf Butt is also expected to play a key role. He made several important saves against Thailand and will face another demanding examination against a Philippines attack led by Bjorn Kristensen.

Kristensen has scored at better than a goal-a-game rate since making his international debut in 2024 and will be one of Pakistan’s principal defensive concerns.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2026