MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals will get a chance to gauge themselves against one of their possible opponents in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup when they play Kyrgyzstan in an international friendly on June 8 in Bishkek.
According to Philippine Football Federation general-secretary Ed Gastanes, the PFF has already accepted the invitation of its Kyrgyz counterpart for their respective national sides to meet on the pitch and is just awaiting final documentation.
The Phl-Kyrgyzstan friendly was first explored when Kyrgyz side Dordoi came over to take part in the Group B qualifiers of the AFC President’s Cup last week in Cebu, where Global FC became the first Pinoy participant. Dordoi, with nine national mainstays, gave the Azkals in the Global FC team a sampling of Kyrgyzstan football with a 6-1 drubbing of the Phl club.
Both Kyrgyzstan and Phl have qualified for the Challenge Cup after topping their respective groups (B and E) in this year’s qualification phase.
The friendly with Kyrgyzstan (143rd) will be the second for the Azkals (144th) during the Fifa international match days for June. Prior to the Kyrgyz, the Pinoy booters will tangle with Hong Kong on June 4 in the home stadium of the former Crown Colony.
Gastanes said a third friendly is being arranged, possibly against Tajikistan in the latter’s turf on June 11.