Photo caption: The Philippine Azkals. | PFF Website Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Philippine Azkals will have their first set of international matches for 2022 in the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Tri-Nations Series 2022 on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, at the Singapore National Stadium.
The friendly matches feature only three teams, the Philippines, Malaysia, and host country, Singapore.
The Azkals will play against Malaysia on March 23 and then Singapore on March 29. The games are important for the Azkals as they prepare for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup China 2023 qualifiers in Mongolia slated this June.
The Azkals didn’t have good time in their previous visit to Singapore. Last year, they were eliminated in the AFF Suzuki Cup, finishing at third with six points off two wins and two losses in Group A.
However, the team will field in a formidable 25-man roster in the friendlies headed by Stephan Schrock, Neil Etheridge, and John Patrick Strauss.
Both Etheridge and Strauss are returning to the national team after skipping the World Cup qualifiers and the AFF Suzuki Cup last year due to mother club commitments.
In addition, new faces such as Enrique Linares of UD San Pedro in Spain and Diego Bardanca of Thailand’s Buriram United add excitement to the Azkals roster amidst the minor setback after Gerrit Holtmann will not be making his debut with the team. This as, Holtmann tested positive for the Covid-19.
The rest of the Philippine Azkals who will suit up for the FAS Tri-Nation Series are Kevin Ray Hansen (Kuala Lumpur FC), Quincy Kammeraad (Azkals Development Team), Amani Aguinaldo (Nongbua Pitchaya FC), Justin Baas (Melaka United), Carlos De Murga (Johor Darul Ta’Zim), Daisuke Sato (Ratchaburi Mitr Phol), Oliver Bias (Azkals Development Team), Jesse Curran (Kaya FC-Iloilo), Dylan De Bruycker (Nakhon Ratchasima), Harry Foll (FC Villingen), Kevin Ingreso (Samut Prakan FC), Oskari Kekkonen (Kaya FC), Manuel Ott (Terengganu FC), Iain Ramsay (Nongbua Pitchaya), Dennis Villanueva (Nakhon Ratchasima), Mark Hartmann (United City FC), Bienvenido Maranon (Johor Darul Ta’Zim), Jose Porteria (Kirivong Sok Sen Chey), and Patrick Reichelt (PT Prachuap).
/bmjo
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