Philippine Azkals gear up for Malaysia friendly March 1

Members and coaching staff of the Philippine men's national football team Azkals are gearing up for a friendly game with the Malaysian football team scheduled for March 1 at the Selayang Municipal Council Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The FIFA international friendly game in Malaysia is part of Azkals' preparation for the upcoming 2014 AFC Challenge Cup scheduled for May 19-30, 2014 in Maldives.

The Maldives games will be the last of a series of five tournaments in the AFC Challenge Cup as the the football body prepares for the bigger and expanded Asian Cup.

The Azkals and the Malaysian football team have figured in past games in their respective home courts. The Azkals won over Malaysia 1-0 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in 2012 while both teams ended with a scoreless game in the same year in Malaysian home court.

The Azkals has a superior world ranking record of 127 against the Malaysian ranking of 154 in the global FIFA rankings.

The Azkals are currently in a reorganization mode following the termination of coach Michael Weis, who steered the team to a third place finish in the AFC Challenge Cup in 2012

“The Philippine Football Federation discontinued the services of Michael Weiss as head coach of the Men’s National Team effective Jan. 15. The coaching staff will be reformed in time for the AFC Challenge Cup finals in May, 2014,” said the Philippine Football Federation in a statement.

Azkals team manager Dan Palami said he is now looking at six candidates who have vast experiences as football player and coach.

"It may take about 15 days after PFF’s decision before a new coach is named." said Palami early this month.

The Azkals have barely three months to prepare for the Maldives Challenge Cup under a new coach.

Azkals face Malaysia; coach post still vacant

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will face Southeast Asian powerhouse Malaysia in a friendly on March 1 as part of its buildup for the AFC Challenge Cup.

The friendly, which was confirmed by the Philippine Football Federation Wednesday, will be played at the Selayang Municipal Council in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

The Azkals, who have yet to find a replacement for coach Michael Weiss, are preparing for the Challenge Cup in the Maldives in May.

Meanwhile, Serbian coach Radojko “Raddy” Avramovic, one of the candidates for the Azkals’ coaching vacancy, has reportedly accepted an offer to take the helm with the Burmese national side.

Reports from Singapore revealed that Avramovic, who steered the Lions to three Southeast Asian titles, will start working in Myanmar on Feb. 1.

Myanmar is also seeing action in the eight-team Challenge Cup finals where the winner will earn a berth to the Asian Cup in Australia in 2015.

Former United States skipper Thomas Dooley has also been considered for the Azkals’ post.

The World Cup veteran is expected to meet with PFF officials, led by Azkals manager Dan Palami, in the United States this week.


Source: Sports.inquirer.net

Ex-US World Cup captain in talks with Azkals

MANILA, Philippines — A world Cup veteran who has played 81 times for the United States and has vast experience playing in the German Bundesliga is also being considered as the next coach of the Philippine Azkals.

Thomas Dooley, 52, who skippered the Americans in the 1998 World Cup in France, is expected to meet with national team manager Dan Palami and Philippine Football Federation general secretary Ed Gastanes this week in the US over the possibility of his hiring for the Azkals job.

The PFF, which let go of German coach Michael Weiss last week, is in a race against time to hire a replacement with the Azkals’ next tournament, the AFC Challenge Cup in the Maldives, slated May 19 to 30.

Palami said the next coach will be named before the end of the month.

Sources earlier said Serbian coach Radjko Avramovic, who steered Singapore to three Southeast Asian football championship titles, is also being considered.

Dooley, a defender, was born to a German mother and an American father.

“He has experience and has played at a high level,” said Palami of Dooley, who was named US Player of the Year in 1993.

“We look forward to hearing his thoughts on the (Azkals) job.”

Dooley’s most recent coaching experience was in August 2011, when he was called up to be part of the US national team’s staff for the match against Mexico.


source: sports.inquirer.net

Hong Kong FA fined for racial abuse towards Azkals

MANILA, Philippines - The June 4 football game between the Azkals and the Hong Kong team was supposed to be a friendly game, but the fans in Hong Kong didn’t get the memo.

The world’s football governing body FIFA has levied a fine of 30,000 Swiss Francs, or nearly P1.5 million against the Hong Kong Football Association for alleged racially motivated unruliness directed towards the Filipino players and fans by local fans at Hong Kong's Mong Kok Stadium. FIFA also ordered the HKFA to cover the Philippines' expenses for the proceedings, totalling nearly 150,000 pesos.

The game, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the Azkals, was marred by allegations of trash throwing and slurs from the Hong Kong fans, with some alleging they were taunted with chants “you’re all just slaves.”

In a statement issued Friday night that was printed by Wall Street Asia, the HKFA conceded that the FIFA Disciplinary Code calls for the host team to be sanctioned for any unruliness from the fans, but downplayed the events as “minor in nature.”

“In my opinion, the incidents were very minor in nature and there was significant provocation by a number of the Philippine players,” said HKFA’s chief executive Mark Sutcliffe. “Having said that, we do not condone any acts of violence or racial discrimination and…we will implement stadium bans on any individuals convicted of an offense of this nature.”

Sutcliffe continues that he was “disappointed with the initial decision” and “we reserve the right to lodge a formal appeal once we have been given more information on the ground for this decision.”

Prior to the game, local fans booed the Filipino National Anthem, one British spectator told the South China Morning Post, continuing that celebrating fans were subjected to "such abuse - verbal, gestures and physical - as they were pelted with bottles and other objects."

Source: Rappler.com

PH Azkals to train abroad

The Philippine Azkals are expected to hold training camps abroad as part of their buildup for the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup on May 19-30 in Maldives.

If plans don’t miscarry, the Azkals will travel to Pakistan for a 10-day camp in late-February before heading to Saudi Arabia in early-March for a six-day session.

The national team will then head to Europe for a nine-day camp in the second week of April before making its final preparations for the Challenge Cup.

It is likely that the Azkals will play exhibition matches during those camps.

The Azkals are hoping to secure their first-ever Challenge Cup crown with a lineup that is expected to be led by Stephan Schrock, Phil Younghusband and Neil Etheridge, among others.

Out to spoil the Azkals’ bid are 2012 runner-up Turkmenistan, 2013 South Asian Football Federation champion Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Palestine, Laos and host Maldives.

The Challenge Cup draw is set on Feb. 12 at the Paradise Island Resort in Maldives where the eight teams will be divided into two groups. The champion earns a spot in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Sydney, Australia.

Source: MB.com.ph