THE Philippine Azkals opened their AFF Suzuki Cup bid with a scoreless draw against Singapore Saturday night at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.
The Azkals relentlessly attacked the what has been considered by football pundits as the weakest Singapore squad to compete in the tournament but the team simply couldn’t convert.
Hikaru Minegishi had the Azkals’ best chance of scoring off a pass from Stephan Schrock late in the second half but his attempt failed to hit the mark.
In the five-minute extension, Minegishi again had shot at giving the Azkals what could have been a game-winning goal but his header was foiled by Singaporean keeper Hassan Sunny.
With the draw, the two teams earned one point in their group.
The Azkals will face Indonesia on Tuesday before taking on powerhouse Thailand on Friday.