With a squad of many mixed players, the Philippines promise to be a formidable team in Group B.
The roster feature only one domestic-based player, defender Daisuke Sato of One Taguig FC, while the rest played overseas, with eight in Europe and two in the U.S. This reflects the limited development of young players in a country where football is not a prominent sport.
To compensate, the national federation has led Southeast Asia in scouting mixed players who grew up in advanced footballing nations. In the official squad list, only Sato, Amani Aguinaldo, Sandro Reyes, Kenji Nishioka and Javier Gayoso were born in the Philippines.
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Norwegian-Filipino forward Bjorn Kristensen during in the 2-2 draw against Tajikistan in the final qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup, at New Clark City Stadium, Philippines, on June 10, 2025. Photo by PFF |
The Europe-based group feature Norwegian-Filipino forward Bjorn Kristensen, who has scored 13 goals in 17 games to become the top scorer for KFUM Oslo this season. He is joined in the attack by fellow 24-year-old Sebastian Rasmussen, who competes for Hobro IK in the Danish league.
In midfield, the team have Swiss-Filipino Randy Schneider. The 25-year-old previously represented Switzerland at various youth levels before debuting for the Philippines in March 2025. After making 95 appearances for Winterthur in the Swiss top flight, Schneider now plays for Andorra, a Spanish club owned by former Barcelona star Gerard Pique.
The defense is bolstered by Japan-born right-back Paul Tabinas, who has Ghanaian and Filipino blood. The 24-year-old currently plays for Dynamo Zagreb, though fierce competition has limited him to eight appearances for the 26-time Croatian champions since mid-2025. His older brother, center-back Jefferson Tabinas, joins the squad from Malaysian club Selangor.
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English-Filipino defender Isaiah Alakiu during a game for Brighton & Hove Albion U21 in England in 2025. Photo by Brighton & Hove Albion FC |
Spanish head coach Carles Cuadrat has also called up two new defenders, 18-year-old Isaiah Alakiu from Brighton & Hove Albion U21 squad and 23-year-old Angelo Bruckner from German fourth-tier side SpVgg Bayreuth.
Cuadrat has retained nine players from the squad at the 2026 ASEAN Cup that wrapped up last month. The roster also feature Reyes, Christian Rontini and Scott Woods, who suffered a 0-2 defeat to Vietnam at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan on Sept. 18.
Following their Division 1, Group B opener against Vietnam, the Philippines will play Pakistan on Sept. 29 and Thailand on Oct. 2.
The Philippines defeated Vietnam in the 2010 and 2012 editions of the ASEAN Cup but have since recorded seven losses and one draw against them.