AFC Champions League second-tier playoffs lost to Indonesian champions, this Filipino Chinese club still has Asian events to play

Facing the threshold of the AFC II play-off, the Manila Diggers still failed to cross the mountain.

In the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Second Division East Asia play-off held on the evening of August 13 local time, the Manila Diggers, invested by the Chinese in the Philippines, lost 1-2 away to last season's Indonesian League champion Bandung, missed the AFC Champions League Second Division main match.

Manila Diggers were established in the Philippines in 2018 by Chongqing native Shashuo. They were originally an amateur team and were later registered with the Philippine Football Association in January 2024 and officially converted to a professional club. In the 2024-25 season, the team won the runner-up of the Philippine League and qualified for the AFC Champions League second division play-off.

In order to prepare for this AFC playoffs and the new season of the league, the Manila Diggers made major adjustments to the lineup during the offseason: the team has introduced three new Gambian foreign players and five Filipino domestic players, and 11 rotation and substitutes have left the team.

The Philippines' AFC technical points are higher than that of Indonesia. Originally, the Manila diggers could have the advantage of the home court in this playoff game. But the AFC stipulates that the AFC must be held on natural grass fields, which has become an obstacle for the Manila Diggers, which is not financially wealthy. Club investor Sha Shuo revealed: "The rent of natural grassland, coupled with the reception expenses of referee teams and technical officials, will cost about US$35,000, which is a considerable expense for the club."

If you give up your home court and go to Bandung to play, you will not only waive the above expenses, but also receive a $50,000 travel subsidy issued by the AFC. It is estimated that the team's actual expenses for traveling to and from Indonesia will not exceed US$20,000, "this can also make 30,000 US dollars for the preparations for the new season." As a Indonesian league class bully, Bandung Club also agreed to the request to change the venue by the Diggers Club, so the game was moved to Bandung.

The Diggers were relatively passive in the entire game, and the players were a little restrained when they first entered the intercontinental arena. As the first half approached, the Manila goalkeeper made a mistake in cooperation with the defender, and the goalkeeper accidentally blocked the cross from the Bandung player into his own goal. After the change of sides, the visiting team once equalized the score. In the 66th minute, through a set piece opportunity, No. 5, Jof scored in front of the goal. But Bandung scored another goal by Brazilian striker Yulim in the 73rd minute and maintained the lead until the end of the game.

Bandung has advanced to the second consecutive AFC Champions League second league. In the second division of the AFC Champions League last season, Bandung and Zhejiang team were in Group F, and Zhejiang team won both home and away games. The Manila Diggers still have Asian games to play after losing this play-off, and the team will play in the third-level club event under the AFC - the AFC Challenge League.

The teams participating in the Asian Football Federation Challenge League East Asia have been confirmed, namely Deva United (Indonesia), Selenge News Eagles (Mongolia), Ezra FC (Laos), Nanshi Taigang (Taipei China), Shan Confederacy (Myanmar), Phnom Penh Crown and Swift Rieng FC (Cambodia), and Manila Digger (Philippines).