Saintfiet, Phl wage war vs Iraq
Game tomorrow: (Basra International Stadium) 3 a.m. — Philippines vs Iraq
With a new mentor at the helm, the Philippines will test the mettle of Iraq when they collide in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the Basra International Stadium in Iraq on Friday morning.
Kick-off is set at 3 a.m. (Manila time) with the Filipinos banking on the experience of Belgian Tom Saintfiet, who will call the shots for the first time since replacing Hans Michael Weiss as head coach last February.
It’s also going to be the first away game of the Filipinos in the qualifiers before returning home for a rematch against the Iraqis at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium on 26 March.
So far, Iraq leads Group F with two wins for six points while the Philippines is at the third place with one point with a 0-1-1 win-draw-loss record.
A win or a draw against the Lions of Mesopotamia could boost the Filipinos’ World Cup bid and raise their morale heading into their much-anticipated rematch next week.
But winning over the dangerous Iraqis is easier said than done as they are ranked No. 59 in the International Football Federation ranking.
In the recent AFC Asian Cup, in fact, the Lions of Mesopotamia pulled off a shocking upset of Japan, 2-1, in the elimination round.
Only the top two teams per group will advance to the third round. Aside from that, the top two squads in each group will also be given outright berths for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
The Philippines will be be bannered by veteran players Neil Etheridge of Birmingham City FC, Kevin Ingreso and Daisuke Sato of Davao Aguilas FC as well as up-and-coming stars Santi Rublico of Atletico Madrid U19, Theo Libarnes of Far Eastern UniversityDiliman and Michael Baldisimo of the San Jose Earthquakes.
They had an early training in Manila before shifting their camp to Dubai from 16 to 20 March.
Although notable absentees such as Gerrit Holtmann of SV Darmstadt 98 and Sandro Reyes of SpVgg Greuther Fürth II are not in the squad, Saintfiet believes in his core of players.
“We have a well balanced group. We have a good team to face Iraq, but we need to play professionally and try to steal some points. We have a balanced team to face a strong opponent,” Saintfiet said.
“We have both experienced and young people in the mix. It’s important we look at players who can do the job and who we think could be ready for this task in every position.”
Iraqi forward Aymen Husseim is expected to cause problems for the Philippines as he boasts 23 goals for Iraq in 73 appearances as well as Mohanad Ali, who scored the lone goal for Iraq in its 1-0 over Vietnam last November.
‘But an opportunity will be provided to them to experience the event.’
Athletes from both Russia and Belarus had already been banned from attending the opening ceremony of the Paralympics, starting in Paris on 28 August, a little more than two weeks after the Olympics finished.
The IOC in December suspended Russia from the 2024 Games, but gave the green light for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals as long as they do not actively support the war on Ukraine.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus have faced sanctions from a multitude of sports since Moscow launched its assault on Ukraine in February 2022.
Over the past year a number of Olympic sports have eased restrictions, allowing athletes from both countries to return to competition under certain conditions.
But Russians and Belarusians have remained banned from athletics.
Macleod added that there are currently 12 AINs with a Russian passport and seven AINs with a Belarusian passport who have qualified for Paris 2024, out of the 6,000 quota places that have already been awarded for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
It is currently projected that “under the most likely scenario, 36 AINs with a Russian passport and 22 AINs with a Belarusian passport will qualify for the Olympic Games.”
The maximum number, which Macleod said was unlikely to be reached, would be 55 and 28 respectively.
Some 330 Russian athletes and 104 from Belarus took part in the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games.
The IOC said that AINs would have their own flag and a lyric-less anthem. Medals won by the AINs will not be displayed in the overall medal table.
‘We have both experienced and young people in the mix. It’s important we look at players who can do the job and who we think could be ready for this task in every position.’