Azkals tune up vs Cambodia

MANILA, Philippines - The Cambodia home match will cap the closing stage of the Azkals’ buildup for the Nov. 22-28 Suzuki Cup in Hanoi.

“This will be the Azkals’ final tuneup before they proceed to Hanoi,” Philippine Football Federation general secretary Edwin Gastanes announced last night.

The Cambodians missed the final round of the Suzuki Cup after placing third overall in the qualifying tournament behind qualifiers Myanmar and Laos.

But the Cambodians are expected to be determined to prove themselves on the pitch with an upset against a nation that’s been seeded into the finals and enjoy the status as Asean’s top ranked team in the Fifa ranking.

The Azkals left for Doha Qatar yesterday to start their mini camp there. They will play Nepal on Oct. 31 and top Qatari club Al Ahli on Nov. 2.

They will then head to Thailand to lock horns with the War Elephants in another friendly on Nov. 10.

The Azkals are bracketed with Laos, Indonesia and host Vietnam in Group A of the biennial meet, targetting the crown after semifinal stints the last two editions.