For the first time in the history of Philippine football, two teams are set to compete in their respective Asian Cups
After the Azkals defeated Tajikistan to seal their ticket to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Thomas Dooley’s men joined their Filipina counterparts to enjoy the historic moment for dinner at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.
Misagh Bahadoran and the Philippine Malditas
The Filipinas booked their ticket for the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup after a successful qualification in Tajikistan last year and will travel to Jordan to compete in the big dance.
The competition will be held from April 6 to 20. A fifth-place finish in the tourney will allow the Malditas to participate in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup that will be held in France.
Roughly a year later, the Azkals finally booked their ticket to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup after a grueling three-tear campaign that spanned 14 fixtures across Asia.
Goals from Kevin Ingreso and Phil Younghusband were enough for a 2-1 win against Tajikistan to formalize the Philippines’ entry.
The draw for the 2019 tourney will be held on May 4, 2018 in Dubai, while the competition shall start on January 5 and end on February 1, 2019 at the United Arab Emirates.
While there are many issues in Philippine football, undeniable progress has been made in the Men’s and Women’s games by virtue of getting to the continental level.
The Goalkeepers
May the momentum not be wasted for the sake of the sport’s growth in our country.
Photos from the PFF
