Prediction of U23 Malaysia vs U23 Philippines, 5:00 p.m. July 15: Unpredictable unknowns

U23 Malaysia may face difficulties against U23 Philippines

Comments before the match U23 Malaysia vs U23 Philippines

Group A is considered the “group of death” at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, with the participation of the host team Indonesia and two strong opponents, Malaysia and the Philippines. Therefore, the opening match between U23 Malaysia and U23 Philippines is of great significance to the group stage.

It is important to note that only the top team will qualify directly for the semi-finals. To decide their own fate, U23 Malaysia and U23 Philippines cannot afford to lose this match. To gain a big advantage in the race to the next round, they need to win - even win big to compete with the other second-placed teams.

In theory, Malaysia U23 is rated higher with a squad that includes many national players, including naturalized striker of Scottish origin Fergus Tierney and famous star Haqimi Azim. They also appointed experienced coach in the domestic league, Nafuzi Zain to lead the team. Mr. Nafuzi Zain was voted the best coach of Malaysia in 2022 and promises to create new vitality for the “Young Tigers”.

However, coach Nafuzi Zain promised to completely reform the team and give new faces a chance. This decision could affect the strength of U23 Malaysia and cause them difficulties.

On the other hand, the U23 Philippines are even more unstable. The team just appointed a new head coach last week, and chose the unfamiliar name of Garrath McPherson. The Australian strategist is not even listed on Wikipedia, despite having worked at Brisbane Roar and as an assistant for the Philippine women's team.

Even more shocking, Garrath McPherson called up a squad of 13 student players. Among them, 4 players are from the University of the Philippines: goalkeeper Alfonso Gonzalez, defenders Jian Caraig, Cian Galsim and Joshua Merino. However, most of them are actually naturalized players and have good professional qualities. These include Nicholas Guimaraes (Juntendo University, Japan), Noah Leddel (Yale University, USA), Jax Pena (Western Reserve Academy) and Otu Banatao (Old Ominion University, USA).

With this squad of players, U23 Philippines promises to be an interesting unknown in Group A. They may lack professional playing experience, but have outstanding physical and technical foundation.

Expected lineup U23 Malaysia vs U23 Philippines

Malaysia U23 : Haziq Aiman, Aiman Hakimi, Aiman Yusuf, Arif Ilham, Aiman Danish, Danish Hakimi, Danish Syamer, Ziad El Basheer, Alif Ahmad, Fergus Tierney, Haqimi Azim

U23 Philippines: Nicholas Guimaraes, Noah Leddel, Gavin Muens, Adgar Aban, Jethro Flores, Harry Nunez, Kamil Jaser Amirul, Cian Galsim, Jax Peña, Andres Rafael, Otu Abang Banatao

Score prediction: U23 Malaysia 2-2 U23 Philippines

Watch the full 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Football Championship Mandiri Cup™ live on FPT Play, visit http://fptplay.vn