The match went to penalties after 90 minutes of regular play ended in a goalless draw, despite both teams having several opportunities to score.

The Philippines’ Javier Augustine Gayoso and Jefferson David Tabinas both saw their attempts hit the crossbar in the shootout, with Alisher Shukurov’s successful spotkick sealing victory for Gela Shekiladze’s squad.

A lob from midfielder Dylan Demuynck almost gave the Philippines the lead early in the second half but the ball grazed the crossbar.

Tajikistan midfielder then Daler Sharipov came close to breaking the deadlock in the 59th minute, outsmarting goalkeeper Kevin Ray Mendoza before his shot was blocked by a defending player.

Tajikistan goalkeeper Oleg Baklov kept his team in the match with some outstanding saves towards the end of the match, keeping out several dangerous attempts by the Azkals.

Head coach Gela Shekiladze expressed his pride in his team and hoped this victory would boost their confidence ahead of the 2024 King’s Cup in Thailand next month.

“We used a combination of new and experienced players in this tournament, which is not easy, especially at international level. I hope this result will give them more confidence in the next tournament,” he said.