The Philippine men’s football team squandered a two-goal halftime lead before being held to a 2-2 draw by Pakistan in the Fifa Asean Cup on Tuesday at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, Indonesia.
It looked like the Filipino side was on the verge of securing the maximum three points after Sandro Reyes scored the opener and striker Bjorn Kristensen added a second from the penalty area.
But Ali Khan pulled one back for Pakistan shortly after the restart before Abdul Samad came through with an equalizer from a counterattack, enough to share the spoils with the Philippines.
Coach Carles Cuadrat came up with its first point in the competition after dropping its first Group B match last Saturday against Asean Hyundai Cup champion Vietnam, 1-0.
The draw likely ends any chances of the Philippines to advance to either the final as group winner or the bronze final as runner-up.
The Philippines will face Thailand on Friday at the same venue to conclude its group stage assignment.
Reyes scored his sixth international goal when he bundled in the ball amid confusion from the Pakistani defense in the 24th minute before Kristensen doubled the lead eight minutes later with a penalty kick.
Kristensen scored for the 14th time in a Philippine shirt.
Pakistan set up its historic result as Khan fired a shot past goalkeeper Kevin Ray Mendoza before Samad got one off Mendoza near the post for the tying score.
The draw was a huge one for Pakistan, which, according to a Fifa match report, has won just one Fifa World Cup Qualifiers match and only five continental matches in its history.