After much speculation, the Philippine Football Federation announced on Sunday morning that Philippine Azkals coach Scott Cooper has left his post.
Taking over after Sven-Goran Eriksson after the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the 51-year-old led the country to its highest points tally in World Cup qualification with 11 points after eight matches.
“We thank coach Scott for sharing his knowledge, time, effort, and making great sacrifices to our men’s national team program,” said long-time Azkals team manager Dan Palami.
“We had our share of challenges handling the team and competing during the COVID-19 pandemic. During his time in charge, we were able to secure a commitment from players who we believe can help us in achieving our goals. We wish coach Scott all the best in his future endeavors.”
The past few campaigns of the Azkals have seen different head coaches take charge as Stewart Hall was the designated mentor for the 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup while Stallions Laguna’s Ernie Nierras took charge of the Tri-Nations Series.
With the phase of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers happening next month, the federation will name its permanent head coach for the men’s team early this week.
For his part, Cooper was grateful for the chance to be in charge of the national team.
“I would like to take the opportunity to wish the Azkals all the best for the future,” he said. “It was a pleasure working with all the staff and players. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Dan Palami for his trust and support and Stephan Schrock and Neil Etheridge for their unwavering support.”
