| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Otu Abang Banatao [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 11 November 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 10 January 2026 | |||
Otu Abang Banatao (born 11 November 2006), also known as Otu Bisong, is a 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]
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]
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]
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]
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.