Azkals seek fans’ support as they shoot for history
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE Philippine national men’s football team goes for history next week as it shoots for a spot in the AFC Asian Cup.
And the Azkals are hoping that local fans would throw their support behind them and serve as the “12th man” in their groundbreaking quest.
Happening on March 27 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, the Azkals take on Tajikistan in their final Group F match.
The Philippines currently has a record of two victories and three draws for nine points, putting it on top of the grouping, two points clear of Yemen (1-4-0) and Tajikistan (2-1-2) which each has seven points.
Nepal (0-2-3) is already eliminated in the race with only two points to show for.
The Azkals need to notch a win or a draw against Tajikistan to move on to the next round.
“This is an important match for the country, and the cards are not exactly stacked against us. We are currently on top of the table of Group F with nine points. We win or we draw, we will move forward and the country will be part of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time,” said Azkals team manager Dan Palami as he drummed up support for the country’s footballers.
“We want the ‘12th man’ to be there… This sport deserves all the support it can get, as we have already gone far since 2010…” he added, referring to the “renaissance” of football in the country that has resulted in several headways for the Philippines in international competitions.
In their last game in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Nepal in November in Kathmandu, the Azkals were held to a goalless draw.
That set up the team needing to have a favorable outcome in its home game next week.
Had they won last time around, the Azkals would have already qualified for the main draw of the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2019.
As per tournament format, the top two teams in each of the six groups in the third round of qualification advance to the prestigious tournament, joining 12 other teams which have already qualified previously.
Prior to taking on Tajikistan, the Azkals will play Fiji in an international friendly on Thursday, March 22, also at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium as part of their preparation for their big match.
