The Philippine Azkals will go to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia on June 8 to 14, 2022 to secure a ticket back to the biggest football tournament in the continent for the second time in our history.
In the just concluded draw for the final round of AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Qualifiers Final Round, the Philippines was drawn in Group B along with Palestine, Yemen, and host Mongolia.
Some 24 teams reached the final round and were divided into six groups. Eleven spots will be up for grabs in the tournament proper in China next year.
Twelve teams have already qualified in the tournament, plus host China. The Azkals are hoping to secure one of the 11 slots remaining after making their debut in the 2019 Asian Cup in United Arab Emirates.
They will have to play their best football in three games to do so.
Under the rules, the top teams in each of the six groups will automatically book their spots in the 2023 Asian Cup. The next five best second placed teams will get the remaining slots.
Which is easier said than done.
The Azkals don’t have the luxury of time to prepare. As of the moment, they have yet to regroup and train in a while. While the Philippine Football Federation earlier announced that the team will have a camp next month, no confirmation on the actual date and venue has been made.
Against its opponents in Group B, the Philippines has decent results.
The Azkals have a 1-1-1 record against Palestine. Their initial meeting on March 23, 2011, a friendly, ended in 0-0 draw. The Azkals won during their second encounter, 4-3, in an AFC Asian Cup qualifiers on March 19, 2021, but the Palestinians evened the score with 1-0 win on May 30, 2014.
Against Yemen, the Philippines had two draws, 2-2 and 1-1 in AFC Asian Cup games in September and October 2017. Two years earlier, the Azkals won their first match against Yemen, 2-0, in September, but the Yemenis got their revenge in a 1-0 victory two months later. Both games were part of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Against the host, the Philippines has a 1-1 record with the Mongolians in two international friendlies on February 9 and March 15, 2011. The Azkals won the first game, 2-0, but lost the second, 2-1.
These games, however, will not matter anymore once the qualifiers kick off less that four months from now. And for sure, a different Philippine side will face Palestine, Yemen and Mongolia in UlaanBaatar. Still keeping my fingers crossed that the best possible Azkals team can be assembled in time. Like in the next week or two. And the coming FIFA window dates will definitely help Dan Palami’s team.
Football is such a beautiful game that it gives even the most underrated teams a chance to knock down even the greatest team on the tournament on any given day.
Unlike in politics, men fighting for honor and fame for their respective countries face each other fair and square on the pitch. They don’t have the luxury of choosing their opponents or the venue of the battle. And they can’t do a no-show without suffering the consequences. Despite the huge expectations and demands for excellent results, most football players relish the battles ahead in which they can prove they are worthy to don the national colors, to represent their people’s hopes and aspirations. Most importantly, they know which is their right arm from their left.
Looking at weather forecasts in June in the Mongolian capital, the Azkals will need more than winter jackets against the cold weather and tough opposition. They need a fire within for three full games to accomplish the goal against three teams bent of securing their own spots, too, in China.
And they need a ton of courage, which I can’t say to someone who pretends to champion the Filipinos’ cause.
Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!