COLOMBO—The Philippine Azkals team are finally getting noticed even by a strong footballing nation from the Middle East.
Whatever the outcome of their first round World Cup qualifying tie against Sri Lanka, the Azkals will be flying to Bahrain in the middle of July for a couple of friendly matches against teams from the Middle East powerhouse.
The Azkals were looking to overcome the Sri Lankans at the Sugathadasa Stadium in the first leg of their tie being played at presstime here.
The second leg is scheduled Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
Though the details of the matches are still being finalized, Azkals manager Dan Palami said the team may be playing against the Bahrain Under-23 side and another club team.
If the Azkals hurdle the Sri Lankans, the Bahrain matches will be a fitting build-up to a second round qualifying duel with Kuwait on July 23 and July 28.
“Make no mistake about it, we are still focused on Sri Lanka,” said Palami. “We are just happy that we get the opportunity to be invited to play overseas.”
Palami, in his pregame talk before the Sri Lanka match, reminded the Azkals of the work they had put in over the past year that gave them the chance to make history in the World Cup qualifiers.
“Let’s not forget how our team reached this moment when talents and resources were scarce and we relied so much on heart,” Palami told the team. “We must treat the Sri Lanka the same way as before—like we were underdogs.”
The Azkals burst into the Southeast Asian football scene with a semifinal finish in the Suzuki Cup that was followed by a successful qualifying bid in the AFC Challenge Cup.
Aside from Bahrain, the team has also been invited for friendlies by Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. But scheduling conflicts have prompted the Philippine Football Federation to put these on hold.
“It’s a result of the work we have put into the team over the past year. It’s a good compliment as we know a weak team never gets invited for friendlies,” said Palami.
The Azkals actually have a busy schedule ahead in the remaining six months of the year with the Manila Beer Cup and the Long Teng Cup in Taiwan in September.