Bienve Marañon, one of the AFF Suzuki Cup’s top scorers. PFF photo
Azkals’ reason to celebrate
THE Philippines may have suffered an early exit in the just-concluded AFF Suzuki Cup, but the Azkals still has something to celebrate with.
Bienve Marañon, who was naturalized last year, was among the four winners of the biennial football competition’s Golden Boot award to highlight his international debut as an Azkal.
With four goals each, Marañon shared the honors with Thailand’s Teerasil Dangda and Chanathip Songkrasin, and Malaysia’s Safawi Rasid at the end of the Suzuki Cup in Singapore on New Year’s Day.
“Happy to be the Top Scorer of @affsuzukicup with @TheAzkalsPH in my first tournament with them. Thanks to my teammates and staff for the help to make this happen,” Marañon posted on his Twitter account Sunday night.
Marañon, who is also the AFC Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 35 goals, completed a hat-trick in the Philippines’ 3-2 win over Myanmar in the final group stage match last December 18.
A native of Cadiz, Spain, Marañon officially became a Filipino last July.
Thailand won a record-extending sixth AFF championship with a 6-2 aggregate victory over Indonesia.
The Azkals missed the semis for the second time in the last three editions of the region’s biggest football competition after placing third in Group A.
