Philippine Football Federation Director of National Teams Freddy Gonzalez assured fans that preparations are actively underway for the Philippine Men’s National Football Team’s campaign in the upcoming 2024 Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
Speaking during the 2024 Mitsubishi Electric Cup Trophy Tour at the Glorietta Activity Center, the former Pachanga Diliman and Loyola Meralco Sparks striker emphasized that, while the team is currently focused on its friendlies against Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, much of the groundwork for a successful tournament is being done behind the scenes.
“I think it’s more excitement. It’s meant to excite the fans, the media, the staff, and the players,” said the 46-year-old official. “You know, the trophy’s here, and it’s something we aspire to have. But like what Coach Albert [Capellas] says, we go game by game.
“For now, we’re only thinking about Hong Kong, then after that, Sri Lanka. After Sri Lanka, we’ll go game by game. That doesn’t mean we’re not thinking about the Mitsubishi Electric Cup. We’ve been planning this for the last six months: the lineups, the players, the potential scenarios. Right now, it’s all about ensuring we have a healthy team going into the tournament.”
He added, “We have a complete team, and if we add one or two more players, we believe we’ll have a solid chance of reaching the semifinals and possibly the finals. But again, we’re taking it game by game, so right now we’re focused on Hong Kong.”
The team will travel to Hong Kong on November 14 and then host Sri Lanka on November 19. Fresh off a victory over Tajikistan on October 14, confidence is building as the team broke a 10-game winless streak.
Additionally, Bundesliga winger Gerrit Holtmann rejoined the squad during the 2024 King’s Cup campaign in Thailand, sparking excitement among fans.
Gonzalez highlighted the importance of players like Holtmann but noted the challenges of securing them for tournaments and matches outside the FIFA calendar, as clubs may be reluctant to release players.
“The three players we’ll have a hard time getting early are Gerrit [Holtmann], Santi [Rublico], and Dylan [Demuynck]. We’ll be discussing with their clubs about possibly letting them skip the last game before the winter break so they can be here for the game against Vietnam and our away game against Indonesia,” said Gonzalez.
“Hopefully, their clubs will allow it. If not, we’ll have to manage without them for the group stage and hope they can join us if we reach the semifinals. Off-window tournaments make it tough for clubs to release players. I suspect Indonesia will face the same challenges, as around ninety-percent of their players are in the Dutch league, so it’s not just us dealing with this.”
Gonzalez acknowledged the high expectations to keep the Mitsubishi Electric Cup trophy in the Philippines but reiterated that the team is still evolving in its playing style under Coach Capellas.
He emphasized that immediate results might not be realistic and that the focus remains on trusting the process, taking each match as it comes.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” he said. “A lot of patience is required because what [Capellas] demands of the players is really intensive. The players have done a great job of picking it up quickly. Of course, there’s still much to work on, and Albert will tell you that himself.
“But we’re pleased with how the players have adapted, taking in all the information quickly. Hopefully, with more time under Albert, fans will see a very different team from six months ago.”
