By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE Philippine national men’s football team begins its qualifying bid for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and the AFC Asian Cup in China in 2023 here at home in September.
Following the official draw ceremony at the Asian Football Confederation House in Malaysia on Wednesday, it was known that the Philippine Azkals will begin their campaign in Group A along with China, Syria, Maldives and Guam and their first game a home match set for Sept. 5.
The Azkals will face Syria in their first game of a scheduled home-and-away campaign that will last until June 2020.
China is the highest-ranked team in Group A in the latest world rankings at 77th, followed by Syria (85th), the Philippines (126th), Maldives (152nd) and Guam (190th).
Tournament format calls for the winners in the eight groups and the four runners-up with the best record advancing to the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Finals and the final round of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
However, should Qatar win their group, the seven other group winners and five best second-placed sides will advance to the final round of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
World Cup host Qatar (55) is in Group E along with Oman (86), India (101), Afghanistan (149) and Bangladesh (183).
The other groupings have Australia (43), Jordan (98), Chinese Taipei (125), Kuwait (156) and Nepal (165) in Group B; Iran (20), Iraq (77), Bahrain (110), Hong Kong (141) and Cambodia (169) in Group C; Saudi Arabia (69), Uzbekistan (82), Palestine (100), Yemen (144) and Singapore (162) in Group D; Japan (28), Kyrgyzstan (95), Tajikistan (120), Myanmar (138) and Mongolia (187) in Group F; United Arab Emirates (67), Vietnam (96), Thailand (116), Malaysia (159) and Indonesia (160) in Group G; and South Korea (37), Lebanon (86), North Korea (122), Turkmenistan (135) and Sri Lanka (201) in Group H.
The Philippines played in its first-ever Asian Cup early this year in Dubai where it was lumped in Group C, dubbed as the “Group of Death,” along with South Korea, China and Kyrgyzstan.
The Azkals, then coached by World Cup campaigner Sven-Goran Eriksson, showed spirited effort against South Korea, losing, 1-0, and challenged China before bowing down, 3-0. In their final game versus Kyrgyzstan they lost, 3-1, to exit winless.
Despite failing to go through, the Azkals were still grateful for the chance to test themselves and compete in a tournament like the Asian Cup while vowing to work harder and come back stronger.
