The Philippine Azkals made history by advancing into the semifinals of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup with a 2-1 upset of former titlist Tajikistan at the Halchowk Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.Phil Younghusband and Angel Guirado scored the crucial goals for the Philippine side on the 53rd and the 80th minutes of the game.
Despite the Persian Lions dominating possession in the first half, the Azkals displayed tenacity and consistency in attacking the Tajiks’ goal.
Younghusband, who scored two goals against India, had scoring attempts on the 2nd and 8th minutes.
Angel Guirado also struck a header in the 28th, but his shot sailed over the crossbar.
The Tajiks, however, pulled off a stunner in first half injury time when an Alexey Negmatov header went through the Azkals' goal line.
The Filipinos appealed before the referees, but game officials ruled in favor of the Persian Lions and gave them a 1-0 advantage over the Azkals.
Minutes into the second half, the nationals fired back at their Central Asian counterparts.
Younghusband equalized the game for the Philippines by scoring a goal off a pass from Guirado.
This leveled the scores to 1-1 on the 53rd minute.
After failing to convert a goal in the 78th minute, Guirado pushed the Philippine side to a 2-1 lead against the Tajiks with a header on the 80th minute.
The Persian Lions tried hard to equalize the game, but they came short in front of the Azkals’ defense.
The Philippine squad joined North Korea, Turkmenistan and Palestine in the semifinals.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
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