After failing to compete in the last FIFA International window, the Philippines National Men’s Football Team is set to go again this September.
In a statement released by the Philippine Football Federation and signed by General Secretary Attorney Edwin B. Gastanes, the Azkals will face their counterparts from Turkmenistan and Kyrgyz Republic on September 2, 2016 (Friday) and September 6, 2016 (Tuesday) respectively.
The Azkals will face Turkmenistan at the Philippines Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan and then they shall travel away to Bishkek, Kyrgystan a day after.
Both Turkmenistan and Kyrgyz Republic are part of Asia. The two countries are ranked higher than the Philippines in the current FIFA World Rankings. The Philippines are currently ranked at 134th place while Turkmenistan is fifteen places above at 119th while Kyrgyz Republic is much higher at 105th.
Without doubt, this arrangement will be a welcomed by Azkals coach Thomas Dooley. Dooley prioritizes facing countries ranked higher than the Philippines in the World Rankings and Turkmenistan and Kyrgyz Republic fall exactly in the category.
In an earlier interview Dooley stated, “My goal was to be on the 100, now we’re at 135 not because the team is playing bad, not because of the performance that we did, it’s because of the little details that we couldn’t play two games in June. Because we didn’t play two games in June, we dropped 15 points, 20 points, whatever it is. ”
The details of the kickoff times and ticket prices are yet to be announced. These two fixtures are part of the Azkals’ preparations for the upcoming 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup which will be held on November 19, 2016 to December 17, 2016 and hosted by the Philippines. With just a few months left before the tourney, the Azkals and their fans need to get ready for the big kickoff.
