Azkals World Cup Launch at Sparta Gym in Mandaluyong City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
It may be mission impossible, but for a Philippine Team that’s never lacking in belief and motivation, tonight could be the start of something big.
With a souped-up squad filled with talent and experience, the Azkals seek to buck the odds anew as they face Bahrain at the start of the joint 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup Qualifying.
READ: Preview: Azkals start World Cup quest vs Bahrain
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. with the Azkals looking to make a positive start in a tough Group H that also includes powerhouse Uzbekistan. Yemen and North Korea square off in Doha, Qatar in the other group match.
Phil Younghusband, the country’s top scorer with 42 goals from 70 matches, believes a winning start is important for the Azkals.
“If we get a bad result, we’re playing catch up from now on, so we have to get a good result now,” said Younghusband. “We know how big this game is and it’s important to make the home advantage count.”
It all begins at the 20,000-seater Philippine Sports Stadium where the Azkals hope to pull the rug from under a team ranked 30 places above them in the Fifa rankings at 107.
“I told the players whatever you can do best, bring it,” said said Azkals coach Thomas Dooley. “Bring it collectively and we’ll be successful.”