MANILA, Philippines – With barely four days left to fine-tune their game and three key Fil-foreign players joining the team only now, the manager of the Philippine football squad expressed confidence the Azkals would do just fine against Mongolia in their upcoming AFC Challenge Cup tie.
In fact, Dan Palami is convinced the Azkals, including goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and defenders Rob Geir and Ray Jonsson who arrived in the country only last night, would be fully battle-ready come Wednesday night at the Panaad Stadium.
“We’re preparing quite well. Come game time on Feb. 9, you will see a team that’s truly prepared and ready to take on the international competition,” Palami said in a radio interview.
Palami said the coaching staff under new German mentor Hans Michael Weiss has been pushing the 35-member Azkals hard to whip them into shape following the Azkals’ defining semifinal stint in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup.
“I think we have a stronger team now,” said Palami of the squad that recalled the core of the Suzuki Cup semifinalists, including Phil and James Younghusband, Simon Greatwich, Jason de Jong, Anton del Rosario, Mark Drinkuth, Ian Araneta and skipper Aly Borromeo, and a slew of new recruits.
“And we have a great training program. The coaching staff is really pushing them hard and I think they’re ready to run 90 minutes in the game,” he added.
The Azkals played two tune-up games, battling the Negros All Stars “Azukals” to a 4-4 draw and beating a team of young Koreans based in Iloilo, 4-1.
“That would be enough games for the Azkals. In the next few days, we’ll be working on our set plays, set pieces, just preparing the team in their formation,” Palami said, adding the Azkals will also have to “work on cohesion, especially since some players are just arriving.”
Fulham FC’s Etheridge, Ascot United’s Geir, and Icelandic club Grindavik’s Jonsson, were due to arrive in Manila last night and should hook up with the Azkals in Bacolod today.Palami said they expect the trio to have little problem blending in, having been with the Azkals before.
He also gave an assurance that Phil Younghusband would be fit for the game after straining both hamstrings in practice.
“He’s okay now, he just opted to miss the friendly game against Korea (last Thursday) and he’s ready to practice again. He feels quite good he’ll be 100 percent come game time,” Palami said.
“And no one else in the team is injured. We’re all ready to rumble against Mongolia,” he added.