Azkals’ naturalized player Bienvenido Marañon. –PHOTO FROM MARANON TWITTER
MANILA, Philippines—Bienve Marañon’s debut for the national team was all that the Philippines hoped for as the forward won a share of the Golden Boot in the 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup.
Marañon was the tournament’s joint top scorer with four goals alongside Malaysia’s Safawi Rasid and Thai duo Teerasil Dangda and Chanathip Songkrasin.
Of the four, Marañon and Rasid had the best goals-per-match average at 1.0 as the they needed just four games to reach their tallies.
“Happy to be the Top Scorer of [AFF Suzuki Cup] with [The Azkals] in my first tournament with them. Thanks to my teammates and staff for the help to make this happen,” Marañon said in a tweet.
Happy to be the Top Scorer of @affsuzukicup with @TheAzkalsPH in my first tournament with them.
Thanks to my teammates and staff for the help to make this happen.
🇵🇭🦾💙 pic.twitter.com/kDdFUJCTLm— Bienve Marañon (@Bienvecadiz86) January 2, 2022
Songkrasin needed six matches while Dangda had to play in seven.
Marañon had his crowning moment in the tournament when he finished with a hat-trick in the Azkals’ 3-2 win over Myanmar.
The 35-year-old forward, who is a naturalized Filipino citizen out of Spain, is already a proven marksman at club competitions as he holds the goalscoring record in the AFC Cup with 35 playing for United City.