Scott Cooper’s reign is set to last at least until the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As the Philippine Football Federation has announced, the 50-year-old mentor has put pen to paper on a new six-year contract as the coach of the Philippine National Men’s Football Team, Tuesday.
“I think the team has improved under him and we look forward to him taking the team to another level,” said PFF President Nonong Araneta.
Cooper previously coached the likes of Muangthong United and Buriram United in Thailand. He started to work in Philippine football in 2018, where he was part of the coaching staff of the 2018 AFF Championship and 2019 AFC Asian Cup teams.
He is also the one calling the shots of the Azkals Development Team, which consists of the most promising young Filipino and Filipino-Foreign players, such as former UAAP and Ateneo de Manila University star forward Jarvey Gayoso.
“We trust that coach Scott can take the team into where we want it to be. It’s just unfortunate that the COVID-19 pandemic stopped our momentum, but we have set what we feel are our realistic goals for the team in the future,” commented long-time Azkals team manager Dan Palami.
For his part, the Sheffield-native is ready for the task ahead.
The Philippines has many obstacles to overcome before it can be a top team in Southeast Asia, the continent, and against nations at the highest echelons of the international game. However, he is up to the task of building on the country’s’ first Asian Cup appearance in 2019.
“When I first came here, I saw the massive potential of the Azkals…I can honestly say we can still get better and I’m committed to lead this team as it continues to make its mark Asian and world football.”
