Philippines U23 vs Kuwait U23 Asian Games Preview
Philippines and Kuwait square off in their final Group C fixture in the football event at the 2026 Asian Games, with both teams still seeking their first win in the competition.
Al Azraq need a result to stay alive, and with the Young Akzals playing with nothing to lose, an open contest is expected here.
Key Stats
- Philippines U23 have scored in seven of their last nine matches in all competitions.
- Philippines U23 have conceded in five of their last eight matches in all competitions.
- Kuwait U23 have conceded in their last six matches in all competitions.
- Kuwait U23 have scored in two of their last three matches in all competitions.
No Previous Meetings
This will be the first ever meeting between Philippines and Kuwait at this level.
Philippines Playing for Pride
Philippines come into this clash off the back of a 2-0 defeat to Vietnam in their previous fixture. They were second best throughout the contest and could only muster two attempts on target.
That was their second straight defeat in the competition, having lost 5-1 to Uzbekistan in their opening fixture. Garrath McPherson's team can no longer qualify for the knockout phase and are only playing for pride.
Philippines have been let down by defensive problems, having conceded seven goals in their two Group C matches. However, they have shown some overall attacking quality lately, scoring in seven of their last nine matches in all competitions.
Kuwait Keen to Stay Alive
Kuwait are also coming off a defeat, falling 2-0 to Uzbekistan in their previous fixture. They struggled to match the quality of their rivals and could only manage one attempt on target throughout the contest.
Unlike the Philippines, Kuwait are not down and out yet as they have one point in the group thanks to the 1-1 draw with Vietnam in their opening fixture. Emilio Peixe’s team can qualify with a win on Tuesday and a defeat for the Vietnamese in the final group fixture.
Kuwait have also struggled to maintain their discipline at the back, conceding in their last six matches in all competitions. However, they have shown some attacking quality and have scored in two of their last three fixtures.
Team News & Predicted Line-ups
Philippines (4-4-2): Nicholas Guimaraes; Kamil Amirul, Joshua Merino, Christian Rontini, Scott Woods; Ethan Smith, Sandro Reyes, John Lucero, Santiago Rublico; Aidan Astilla, Dov Carino.
Philippines are likely to make changes to the team to give some fringe players a runout. Carino and Astilla were second-half substitutes last time out and could earn a start while Merino is expected to continue at the heart of the defence.
Kuwait (4-3-3): Abdulredha Shebab; Jasem Al-Enezi, Saleh Al-Mehtab, Abdullah Essa, Jasem Shammouh; Bader Almutairi, Moontaser Abdulsalam, Abdulaziz Al-Shammari; Omar Al-Matar, Talal Al-Qaisi, Ahmed Boodai.
Boodai and Al-Shammari were both second-half substitutes last time out and could be handed a start here. Abdulsalam should continue in midfield while Essa is set to line up at the back once again.