Azkals, Indonesians face off in 4th friendly

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals will face off with Indonesia on Aug. 14 in Solo, Indonesia in an international friendly that comes on the heels of the Indons’ high-profile matches with English Premier League clubs Arsenal and Liverpool.

Philippine Football Federation general-secretary Ed Gastanes confirmed that the PFF and their counterparts from Indonesia have agreed to play the Fifa “A” match – the sides’ fourth meeting since 2010 – at the Manahan Stadium in Solo.

“The PFF has accepted the invite of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) for a friendly mach between the A teams of Philippines and Indonesia on Aug. 14, 2013 at Solo, Central Java, Indonesia,” Gastanes announced in the Azkals’ official website.

The Azkals will meet the Indons a month after the Merah Putih engaged Arsenal and Liverpool in non-Fifa friendlies and lost, 0-7 and 0-2, respectively. The Merah Putih played the Netherlands in their last international friendly last June 7, dropping a 0-3 decision.

Phl XI will play its first international friendly since its controversy-marred away fixture last June 4 in Hong Kong. The Pinoy booters nipped Hong Kong, 1-0, in a friendly that made headlines for alleged racial abuse suffered by Filipino fans. The PFF has since filed a complaint with the International Football Federation on this matter.

This will be the fourth meeting over the last three years for the Azkals (144th in the the Fifa rankings) and the Merah Puti (168th), who are deep in preparation for their duel with China in the AFC Asian Cup qualification in October-November. 

The Azkals lost to Indonesia in their  breakthrough semifinal appearance in the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2010, 0-2 on aggregate.

They met again last June 2012 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, fighting to a 2-2 standoff in an altercation-marred friendly. Captains Chieffy Caligdong and Irfan Bachdim were red-carded for their involvement in a pushing match as did Azkal Manny Ott.