The Philippine Azkals are set to meet familiar foes in the third round of the qualification matches for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
In a draw held Thursday afternoon at the Asian Football Confederation’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, the Philippines was drawn to Group B alongside host nation Mongolia, Palestine, and Yemen in the final qualification phase of Asia’s biggest competition.
Of the three teams, it is Yemen whom the Azkals faced most recently.
Both squads were grouped together in the last two qualification rounds of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. There were four matches played and the Filipinos won one, lost one, and drew two times against their Yemeni counterparts.
When it comes to Palestine, the first thing that comes to mind is the Philippines’ loss against the Middle Eastern nation in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup final.
A win in that game would have granted the Azkals entry into the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia but Ashraf Nu’man’s 59th-minute goal was enough for the Palestinians to seal a 1-0 victory.
The Philippines last won against Palestine when both nations squared off in the third-place play-off match in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. Goals from the Guirado brothers and a brace from Phil Younghusband won the Azkals a 4-3 thriller to seal the bronze finish.
Lastly, the Philippines’ last official matches against Mongolia happened in February 2011, which was the height of the Azkals’ fever after their fine showing in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup.
In front of 20,000 fans at the historic Panaad Stadium in Bacolod, Chieffy Caligdong and Phil Younghusband scored to seal a 2-0 win while James Younghusband scored a vital goal in the 2-1 second-leg loss, which was enough to seal a 3-2 win on aggregate.
All four teams shall compete this June, with all matches taking place in Mongolia. The team that finishes top has assured a place in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
Meanwhile, the team that is second in the standings needs to be in the top five second-place finishers in the round to book a ticket.
