The Philippine Men’s National Football Team did not have to look far for an interim coach to lead its campaign in next week’s 2024 Merdeka Tournament.
Former international standout and assistant coach Norman Fegidero has been appointed as the squad’s interim head coach for the upcoming competition, following Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet’s sudden move to Mali.
Assisting him in this challenging task are coaches from the Philippine Women’s National Football Team—Mark Torcaso, Andrew Durante, Sinisha Cohadzic, and Garrath McPherson—who have stepped up to make the crossover to the men’s side for this tournament window.
“Given the circumstances, we needed to act quickly,” said Philippine Football Federation Director of Senior National Football Teams Freddy Gonzalez.
“Norman was the assistant coach in the last four games and was the obvious choice to take charge in the interim. With some of our staff leaving along with Tom, we needed to bring in additional support,” he added.
“Fortunately, we have an excellent staff on the women’s side who were more than willing to answer the call for this tournament. It’s unusual to see staff crossover between separate teams, but this situation required a creative solution. This temporary fix will give us much-needed time to find a permanent head coach.”
All eyes will be on Fegidero, his new assistants, and the team—formerly known as the Azkals—as they quickly try to regroup.
This is not the first time the Bacolod native has been appointed as the national team coach.
Back in 2008, he led the country to victories against Brunei, Tajikistan, and Bhutan in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers in Iloilo.
The 54-year-old coach and his staff have key players like Neil Etheridge, Amani Aguinaldo, Jefferson Tabinas, Sandro Reyes, and Jarvey Gayoso to rely on in the Merdeka Cup, which is seen as part of the national team’s buildup for the upcoming 2024–2025 Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez and the PFF will continue searching for a new head coach to fill a position that has seen seven different coaches in the past five years.
The last time the national team had a coach in place for more than a year was from 2014 to 2018, during Thomas Dooley’s first tenure in charge.
