Azkals’ bronze sparkles like gold
KATHMANDU—Battle-scarred veteran Chieffy Caligdong led the Philippine Azkals in claiming their bronze medals during the awarding ceremonies of the AFC Challenge Cup on a cold Monday night at the Dashrath Stadium
They may have fallen short of the biggest prize and a berth in the AFC Asian Cup in 2015, but the feeling that the hard work had translated into something tangible —a medal—was enough for the Azkals, who left the Nepalese capital feeling like winners.
The medal sparkled like gold for the Azkals and provided extra significance for the likes of Caligdong and veterans Ian Araneta, Roel Gener, Boogie Margarse and Eduard Sacapano, who have toiled with the national team for the past decade with little reward —or achievement.
In this edition of the Challenge Cup, a more cohesive Azkals side came all the way from pre-qualifying 13 months ago to gatecrash the semifinals for the first time, before winning the third-place battle against Palestine, 4-3, Monday.
While champion North Korea and Turkmenistan were familiar figures on the podium during the awarding rites, the Philippines was not. In this tournament, the Azkals proved their worth, smashing former champions India and Tajikistan to survive the tournament’s Group of Death.
That’s why the Azkals wore wide grins and giddily accepted their medals.
Caligdong, proud son of Barotac Nuevo town in Iloilo, already had plans for his medal as soon as he received it.
“It’s special,” said the Air Force standout, who first represented the country in 2000, in Filipino. “For all my years in the national team, this is just my first medal. It’s something that cannot be taken away from us. Now I can say I accomplished something while representing the country.
“I’ll have the medal framed as soon as I arrive in Manila.”
The third-place finish is the best for the country in recent memory, underscoring the team’s rise. The Azkals didn’t even qualify for the group stage of the Challenge Cup in 2009.
With homegrown talent combining brilliantly with Filipinos playing abroad, the Azkals enjoyed a good run of results the past two years.
More than anything else, Azkals coach Michael Weiss said the team has gained respect from other Asian teams. “They now know that when they face the Philippines, it will not be easy,” said Weiss.
“Third place reflects what we’ve seen in the training camp in Dubai and a wonderful group growing together.”
Weiss also hailed his squad’s “never-say-die” attitude, which was also in full display against a tough Palestine team that equalized at 1-1 and set the stage for a thrilling finish with a 78th minute goal.
“We had some difficulties to overcome,” he said. “And we managed it in a wonderful way.”
Azkals manager Dan Palami said exceeding expectations with the third-place finish makes the effort all worth it. “Considering the competition, this was more than we expected.”
