UP NEXT FOR OUR AZKALS MEN: YEMEN
Azkals hope to keep lead in AFC qualifiers, face Yemen in Bacolod tonight
The Philippines will rely on returning veterans and some youthful players in its Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup UAE 2019 qualifiers match against Yemen at the Pana-ad Park and Football Stadium in Bacolod City at 7:30 p.m.
“Our form is everything but perfect,” said Azkals head coach Thomas Dooley in a report posted at the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) website.
Though some of the national team mainstays like Phil and James Younghusband, Misagh Bahadoran and Neil Etheridge are suiting up for the team. The team will still miss the likes of Javier Patiño, Amani Aguinaldo and Kenshiro Daniels, all out with injuries; Stephan Schröck, has also retired from national duties; and Daisuke Sato is out because of a suspension from two acquired yellow cards.
This Azkals squad is youthful but isn’t that inexperienced as most of the players are in their 20s, with only the Younghusbands, Bahadoran, Simone Rota, Junior Muñoz, Carli de Murga and Paul Mulders in their 30s. Only nine players have 20 or more caps for the national team, which also feature a couple of Under-22 players in Dylan De Bruycker and Joshua Grommen. The Azkals have also called up newcomers 19-year-old Harry Föll and 23-year-old Tyler Matas.
“I hope they are team players and give everything they have,” said Dooley of the new players. “Those are future players and you never know how they do, so I hope we can find one or two more surprises.”
The Philippines is at the top of Group F with six points from a 4-1 win over Nepal and a 4-3 victory over Tajikistan. Yemen is currently ranked second with four points. /