Kiakilir: Timor Leste win U-14 finals last ticket

Nay Pyi Taw: Timor Leste punched the last ticket to the AFC U-14 Championship 2014 finals after whipping the Philippines 8-1 in their last qualifying Group E match at the Wunna Theik Stadium in Myanmar on Monday.

Defender Jobellquim Nias Godinho Da Costa scored a quadruple while striker Joao Pedro Da Silva Freitas contributed a double to the Timor Leste cause. Midfielder Leopoldo Artur Gutierres and substitute Matias Ximenes Guterres were on the score-sheet for a goal each.

Timor Leste finished their qualifying campaign on top of the six-nation group having accumulated 13 points, a points level matched by Malaysia but superior goal difference (Timor Leste’s 27 vs Malaysia’s 16) positioned the Malaysians on second spot.

The Malaysians were also the only side Timor Leste could not beat whereas all the other four opponents had to bow down to Joao Manuel Da Silva Araujo’s side. They had downed Vietnam 2-1, Brunei Darussalam 14-0 and Myanmar 6-1.

The Filipinos, meanwhile, finished on fifth spot having won only one game out of four.

In Group F also hosted by Myanmar, Thailand had emerged as the unmatchable leaders after beating Cambodia 1-0 on Sunday and therefore qualifying for the finals with a match to spare.

Both Thailand and Timor Leste have joined the ranks of Iran, Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, DPR Korea and Iraq, altogether eight teams, to contest for top honours in the inaugural U-14 championship.

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AFC U-14 Championship G-E