Azkals ready for battle vs. Mongolia

BACOLOD City , Philippines  – Team Philippines is 90 percent complete, while the Mongolians arrived yesterday afternoon for their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup qualifying playoff match against the Azkals tomorrow night here at the Panaad Stadium in Brgy. Mansilingan.

Team manager Dan Palami said except for defender Rob Gier, the core of the RP Azkals is now complete. Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and midfielder Ray Jonsson, along with newcomers Fil-Dutch James and Ryan Hall, Dennis Cagara, and Gerry Lucena joined the team last arrived Saturday.

While Etheridge and Jonsson are expected to start for the Azkals against Team Mongolia on Wednesday’s game, Palami said the Hall brothers, Cagara and Lucena, will not be able to play yet.

“They’re pretty much part of the team now, but they still have to settle their papers,” said Palami.

"They are still being assessed and it will depend on the coaches to determine what role they will play on the team," he added.

With only one day left before the game, the Azkals are now 90 percent complete and ready for the duel. Yesterday’s session with coach Hans Michael Weiss is more on fixing some of the team’s lapses in defense, he added.

The Panaad pitch has also been booked for a possible practice game by the Mongolia team, currently ranked at 182. The Philippine team occupies the 152nd spot in the FIFA records.

Meanwhile, police provincial director S/Supt. Allan Gusihan said more than 1,000 combined forces of the PNP and AFP are set to secure the venue.

Guisihan said there will be 700 policemen from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, 200 from the Army, and more than 100 from the Bacolod City Police Office to patrol the stadium.

Aside from these, there will also be additional forces from the Bureau of Fire Protection and Bacolod Traffic Authority to be deployed to the stadium.

“We are very prepared for the football match on Wednesday,” Guisihan said.

He said that as of yesterday, there is no official confirmation if President Aquino is arriving but they have prepared contingency measures and security plans if he does come.

Guisihan said the all the police stations in Negros Occidental will be on full alert starting today.   (FREEMAN NEWS)