Challenge Cup Qualifiers a must win – Weiss

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss is intent in kickstarting their AFC Challenge Cup campaign with a group win in the upcoming qualifiers in Rizal Memorial Stadium on March 22 to 26.

The German tactician stressed the importance of the upcoming tournament not only for the team’s qualification in the final stage in Maldives in 2014, but also for the steady growth of the development of football in the country.

“This is a tournament that has to be won. We want to show that we are ready for a higher level of play and that our strategy will be consistent in the coming years,” Weiss said in the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers Group E press conference on Thursday, March 7.

The past two years saw the meteoric rise of Philippine football with 2012 serving as the banner year for the national team. The Azkals reached its highest FIFA ranking in the history of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) at 143 before settling to 147 at the end of last year.

The team also won silverware in 2012 with a 3rd place finish in the AFC Challenge Cup tournament in Nepal in March and the Philippine Football Peace Cup in September. The Azkals also qualified in the semifinals of the AFF Suzuki Cup, two editions in a row, before bowing down to eventual winners, Singapore, 1-0 on aggregate.

Full squad, full house

With Manila as the host for the Group E Challenge Cup qualifying matches and the match dates falling on FIFA calendar dates, expect a Rizal Memorial Stadium brimming with noisy fans cheering for the full-strength Azkals squad.

PFF general secretary Ed Gastanes mentioned that the ticket prices for the whole tournament were reduced to encourage people to come and support their national team.

“We lowered the ticket prices so more people will come and support the Philippine Azkals,” Gastanes said.

Coach Weiss mentioned that full support in the stands from the fans come match day is very crucial in boosting the moral of the team in every game.

“We need a full house, a full crowd and full support. All the players are always praying for that; to play in front of the Filipino fans,” he said.

Azkals team manager Dan Palami was thrilled to announce the availability of most of the foreign-based Azkals to link up with the local-based players and beef up the squad in the upcoming competition.

Expected to arrive are Angel Guirado, Paul Mulders, Jerry Lucena, Dennis Cagara, Roland Muller, Neil Etheridge, Ray Jonsson, Rob Gier, Stephan Schrock and newest addition, Javier Patino.

With the expected players to join the squad, the Azkals chances in qualifying for the main tournament is bright, according to Palami. However, he added that we should not underestimate the other teams in the group, especially Turkmenistan.

“With the presence of strong players in our team, we are perceived as the group favorites but we’re not going to be complacent as the other teams, (especifically Turkmenistan), have strong players as well,” he said.

23-man lineup, a tight race

Despite the arrival of the foreign-based players, it does not mean that local-based players who are fit and dedicated will be set aside and dropped off the line up when the tournament starts.

This is what Coach Weiss and goalkeeping coach Pascal Zuberbuhler cleared when asked about the selection process in the 23-man line up for the competition. Zuberbuhler said that making the squad will still be based on merit, dedication and fitness level.

“We need to choose the best players in the pool of foreign and local-based players. Players who are fit from the first minute of the game until the final whistle will be chosen,” the goalkeeping coach and veteran World Cup campaigner for Switzerland explained.

Weiss also revealed, quite shockingly, that Roland Muller will likely get the starting position between the sticks come match day instead of Neil Etheridge, although he clarified that there is no final decision yet. Both keepers have expressed their availability for the tournament after failing to commit to the Azkals in the 2012 Suzuki Cup due to club duties.

The team will likely have one more international friendly on March 17 either in Hong Kong or Macau before starting the training for 5 to 6 days ahead of their first match on March 22 for cohesion and strategy.

The Philippines will face Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam and Turkmenistan in March 22, 24 and 26, respectively.

The winners of the 5 groups of the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers (A, B, C, D and E) and two best second place teams gain an automatic berth in the main tournament in Maldives in 2014. Myanmar, Afghanistan and Palestine have already qualified.

The winner of the main tournament, AFC Challenge Cup, gains an outright berth to the pinnacle of football competition in this side of the world, the Asian Cup in 2015, where Japan, Australia and Korea Republic, among others, compete. – Rappler.com