Sandro Reyes motivated by support from PMNFT fans, partners ahead of Asian Cup qualifiers

Sandro Reyes arrived in Manila last Monday ahead of the third round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers and has been grateful for the support he and the Philippine Men’s National Football Team have been receiving recently.

The nationals are coming off a historic stint in the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup last December where they reached the semifinals. In the first leg of the semis, the Philippines even defeated Thailand, 2-1, to end a 52-year drought against the Thais.

“It’s really nice to see the game against Thailand. Obviously, there are so many people, and just the messages that all of us players receive from the fans, it’s really nice to see and motivates us even more to do better for the country,” Reyes said on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Philippine Football Federation’s partnership launch with digital bank GoTyme.

Sandro Reyes talks about the upcoming window of the Asian Cup qualifiers and the support the players and the PMNFT has been receiving from fans and partners @gmasportsph pic.twitter.com/dtDYI4VVKn

— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) March 19, 2025

The support the team has been receiving, however, is just additional fuel for him as the 21-year old midfielder said playing for the national team is already enough motivation for him to give his best.

“You don’t have to motivate yourself to play for the national team. It’s always a special feeling. So we’re automatically motivated and want to win in front of our people, especially at home,” he said.

“I always want to prove that I can be part of the team. Every day I work hard so that I can continue to be part of this team,” he added.

The Philippines will play Maldives on March 25 at the New Clark City for the first window of the Asian Qualifiers’ third round.

—GMA Integrated News