Considering the possibility that they could be pitted against the world’s best, nothing would make Azkals team manager Dan Palami happier than to see his boys reaching the third round of the qualifying tournament for the 2014 World Cup that begins this June.
“If we get into the third round, that will be a huge success already,” said Palami, the man credited for the national football team’s rise from zero to heroes.
No Philippine team has ever gotten past the first round, and Palami hopes they could make more heads turn.
Last year, the Azkals, reinforced by Fil-foreign players from Europe, reached the ASEAN Football Federation
Suzuki Cup semifinal round for the first time, sparking a football fever in the basketball-crazy nation.
“Reaching the third round would actually be surpassing the semifinal finish in the Suzuki Cup last year,” Palami said.
Palami and the team members, including German coach Hans Michael Weiss graced Monday a victory lunch gathering thrown by ABS-CBN for the squad's recent success in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup, where they advanced to the main draw next year.
Their opponent in the Round 1 qualifier for the planet’s most prestigious tournament that will be held in Brazil will only be known on Wednesday during a draw at 4 p.m. in Kuala Lumpur.
But Palami said they have received information that they could be squared up against either Cambodia or Afghanistan.
Read more at Manila Bulletin
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