Having enjoyed his first trip to Nepal five years ago when the Philippines reached the AFC Challenge Cup semifinals for the first time, Azkals skipper Phil Younghusband is hoping to achieve a bigger, more important goal this time.
When Younghusband leads the Azkals out at ANFA Stadium against the host country in Kathmandu on Tuesday, the team will be carrying the dreams of a nation that has so long been aching to play with the elite.
A victory against Nepal will guarantee progress to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, a first for the country.
“I think this is as good as any chance for us to qualify so I’m not even thinking about the possibility of us not qualifying,” said Younghusband, who has four goals so far in the qualifiers.
Sitting on top of Group F with eight points, the Azkals still have one more game against Tajikistan at home.
“This is perhaps one of the most important matches in our history,” said team manager Dan Palami.