KUALA LUMPUR, Tajikistan secured third place in the 2024 Pestabola Merdeka after defeating the Philippines 4-3 in a penalty shootout during the third-place playoff at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium here today. The match went to penalties after 90 minutes of regular play ended in a goalless draw, despite both teams having several scoring opportunities that they failed to convert. In the penalty shootout, the Philippines' Javier Augustine Gayoso and Jefferson David Tabinas both saw their attempts hit the crossbar, while Alisher Shukurov's successful spot-kick sealed the victory for Gela Shekiladze's squad. Early in the second half, a lob by Philippine midfielder Dylan Demuynck almost gave them the lead, but the ball grazed the crossbar. Tajikistan midfielder Daler Sharipov came close to breaking the deadlock in the 59th minute, outsmarting goalkeeper Kevin Ray Mendoza, but his shot was blocked. Towards the end of the match, Tajikistan goalkeeper Oleg Baklov delivered an outstanding performance, saving s everal dangerous attempts by the Azkals. The match remained scoreless until the final whistle, leading to the penalty shootout. Tajikistan 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, scheduled for next month. 'In this tournament, we used a combination of new and experienced players, which is not easy, especially at the international level. I hope this result will give them more confidence in the next tournament,' he said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency