ILOILO CITY—The presence of defending champion Tajikistan notwithstanding, there is an air of confidence within the Philippine Team on the eve of the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup Qualifying Tournament here.
“We expect to win all our games,” top striker Phil Younghusband, who plays for top-flight club Chelsea Reserves in London, told sportswriters during Monday’s press conference.
Six goals in four games
“I didn’t travel 7,000 miles to lose,” added Younghusband, scorer of six goals in four games when he led the Philippines to qualification in the ASEAN Football Championships two years ago.
Younghusband’s bold prediction will be put to the test for the first time on Tuesday when the nationals take on Brunei in the opening match at 3:30 p.m. at the Iloilo Sports Complex pitch here.
Tajikistan and Bhutan play simultaneously at the Barotac Nuevo Football Plaza.
National team skipper Emilio Caligdong, proud son of Barotac Nuevo, said the presence of several Filipino internationals based abroad, like Younghusband and his brother, James, has added to the team’s level of confidence.
Striker Chad Gould, who is also based in England, midfielder Chris Greatwich and defenders Anton Del Rosario and Phil Greatwich have returned for another tour of duty for the Philippines, while tall, 18-year-old goalkeeper Neil Etheridge will play for his mother’s country for the first time.
Still, national coach Norman Fegidero remains wary of Tajiks, whom the Filipinos play on Thursday in a game that will probably determine which team advances to the AFC finals in Hyderabad, India, from July 30 to Aug. 10.
Attack-minded side
For now, though, Fegidero is upbeat about his team’s chances against the Bruneians, whom the Philippines defeated, 4-1, during the ASEAN Championship Qualifiers two years ago in Bacolod City.
Fegidero said he will bring in an attack-minded side against Brunei, ranked 189th in the world.
“It doesn’t matter if we win, 1-0, just as long as we dominate the match,” said Fegidero, whose team is ranked 179th, the second-best team here next to 135th-ranked Tajikistan.
