AFC U23 Asian Cup
The win set Syria up nicely for their match against India on Saturday, with the Philippines facing Tajikistan.
“The opening match wasn’t as easy as we expected, given the development of their team and the presence of many professional players from abroad,” said Bahri.
“However, our team succeeded in imposing our style throughout most of the match. We studied the strengths and weaknesses of our opponents through the matches we watched, and we tried to exploit the flanks, as they represented their most prominent weakness.”
Syria captain Mahmoud Alaswad broke the deadlock just after the hour mark, only for Sandro Reyes to draw the Philippines level in the 78th minute.
Mohammad Almustafa, however, responded two minutes later to clinch all three points for the West Asian side.
“We could have scored in the first half, but luck was not on our side, unlike in the second half. We conceded a goal due to an unnecessary lapse, but we managed to score immediately after the equaliser.
“Overall, I am satisfied with the result, and our performance will improve further in the upcoming matches, as we aspire to top the group or gain the points necessary to qualify for the Asian Cup, which we have missed in the last two editions.”
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