Longtan Cup: RP booters face Hong Kong U-23

The Philippines gauges its readiness for the Suzuki Cup Asean Football Championship when it vies in the four-nation Longtan Cup kicking off today in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The Filipinos open their campaign against the Hong Kong Under-23 side at 5 p.m. at the 40,000-seater Kaohsiung National Stadium. The RP squad was boosted by the arrival of six players and three members of the coaching staff from the Air Force, including co-captain Chieffy Caligdong. The Airmen were unable to join the squad when it left for Taiwan last week after a travel-permit flap. “It’s a good test of how ready we are for the Suzuki Cup,” said team manager Dan Palami. The Filipinos, who have tapped Iceland top-flight league player Ray Jonnson, will also play the Taiwan national team on Sunday and Macau on Tuesday. Mentored by Englishman Simon McMenemy, the RP booters are also seeing action in the Suzuki Cup in Laos, where they will dispute two slots to the main tournament.