Otu Banatao
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Otu Abang Banatao[1] | ||
| Date of birth | November 11, 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | Fairfax, Virginia | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Old Dominion University | ||
| Number | 16[2] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Virginia Development Academy | |||
| –2025 | D.C. United | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025– | Old Dominion University | 12 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024 | Philippines U19 | 6 | (3) |
| 2025– | Philippines U23 | 12 | (5) |
| ‡ National team caps and goals as of January 10, 2026 | |||
Otu Abang Banatao (born November 11, 2006), also known as Otu Bisong, is a Filipino professional footballer who plays as a striker for the Old Dominion Monarchs. Born in the United States, he represents the Philippines at the under-23 level.[3][1]
Personal life
Banatao was born in Fairfax, Virginia, to an American father and a Filipino mother. He studied in Herndon High School. When playing football for the Philippines, he opted to use his mother's surname of Banatao.[4]
Career
Growing up in Herndon, Banatao also played youth soccer for Virginia Development Academy.[2] Up until his graduation from high school, he was also a member of D.C. United's youth team.[5] In 2025, he joined the soccer team of Old Dominion University.[6][7] He made his first start against Coastal Carolina University, also scoring his first two goals.[8]
International career
Philippines U19
After getting his passport, Banatao was called up to the Philippines under-19 team for the 2024 ASEAN U-19 Boys Championship in Indonesia.[9] On the second game against Timor-Leste, he scored two goals. He was called up once more for the 2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers, scoring in the last match against Brunei.[10]
Philippines U23
One year later, Banatao was called up to the Philippines under-23 squad for the 2025 ASEAN U-23 Championship.[11] In the opening match against Malaysia he scored two goals in the first half, leading the team to a historic win.[12] The Philippines would end up making the semifinals for the first time. At the tournament's end, he was awarded the Rising Star Award.[13]
Bisong once again played for the U23 team in the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand. He scored the only goal of the game against Indonesia off a long throw, giving the team another historic win.[14] The Philippines would also make the semifinals.
References
- ^ a b "Otu Banatao - Global Sports Archive". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ a b "#16 - Otu Bisong". ODU Sports. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Otu Banatao at Soccerway
- ^ Clark, Travis (August 8, 2025). "Bisong Relishes Philippines YNT Experiences". Top Drawer Soccer. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "DC United U19". United Premier Soccer League. Archived from the original on December 2, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Agnello, Jonathan (July 15, 2025). "ODU Men's Soccer Announces 16 Newcomers for 2025 Season". ODU Sports. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Minium, Harry (August 21, 2025). "Minium: ODU Men's Soccer Team Has a Ton of Newcomers, and A Renewed Resolve to Win". ODU Sports. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Agnello, Jonathan (October 7, 2025). "Otu Bisong Earns Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week After Two Goal Performance". ODU Sports. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "PH U19 MNT vie for the ASEAN U19 Boys Championship 2024". pff.org.ph. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "AFC U20 qualis: PH U20 ends bid with Brunei shutdown, showed grit vs World Cup vet Iraq". pff.org.ph. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "PMNT U23 Squad Announced for AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers". pff.org.ph. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "Philippines Stuns Malaysia in U23 ASEAN Mandiri Cup Opener". pff.org.ph. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Terrado, Jonas (July 31, 2025). "PH's Otu Banatao named Rising Star in Asean U-23 campaign". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "PMNFT defeats Indonesia, enters SEA Games semis for first time since 1991". pff.org.ph. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
External links
- Otu Banatao at Soccerway