If things go according to plan, Gerrit Holtmann will make his return for the Philippine Azkals next month, marking his first appearance since representing the country in the final qualifying round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
Holtmann, currently playing in Turkey, has been named among the 24 players selected for the Azkals’ upcoming friendlies against Chinese Taipei on September 8 in Kaohsiung and Afghanistan on September 12 in Manila.
Neil Etheridge, Patrick Deyto, and Kevin Ray Mendoza will compete for the starting goalkeeper position on the team.
In terms of defense, Jesse Curran, Daisuke Sato, Michael Kempter, Santiago Rublico, Christian Rontini, Amani Aguinaldo, Carli de Murga, Joshua Grommen, and Enrique Linares will vie for spots in the backline.
In the midfield, John Patrick Strauss, Kevin Ingreso, Dylan de Bruycker, Manuel and Mike Ott, Oskari Kekkonen, and Sandro Reyes will be available for selection.
Alongside Holtmann, players like OJ Porteria, Patrick Reichelt, Bienvenido Marañon, and Jen Sebastian Rasmussen will aim to contribute as the team’s forwards.
Azkals coach Michael Weiss will utilize the upcoming friendlies to prepare for the national team’s joint 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying matches scheduled for November.
