PFF to join int’l friendlies
THE Philippines’ rebuilding men’s football team will have several tune-up matches in preparation for the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup in November.
The Filipinas, who are looking to move forward after the sudden departure of their team manager Jefferson Cheng, will have international home friendlies in the second half of the year.
Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Director for National Teams Freddy Gonzalez said that the men’s football squad will compete in the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia in September and King’s Cup in Thailand in October.
The former national team standout also added that the Philippines will play an away friendly versus Hong Kong and a home friendly versus either Brunei or Chinese Taipei, all in November, prior to the AFF home opener versus Myanmar on November 27.
On the women’s side, Gonzalez said that the Filipinas will play home friendly games against yet to be determined opponents on November 29 and December 6. Other matches and camps have yet to be scheduled.
Gonzalez disclosed that he will stand as the interim team manager of women’s team, and assured the same quality of management being enjoyed by the men’s squad.
“For now, you got me,” Gonzalez said. He explained that “the women’s program is still going to continue as is”
“We’re going to take a look at the processes and everything that these guys have done the last few years to see if any changes need to be made, if anything needs to get better. But we don’t want to… At least my department doesn’t want to break up something that has been working,” he added.
Gonzalez assured that Sarina Bolden, the hero of the Philippines’ historic FIFA Women’s World Cup win against New Zealand last year, and the rest of the Filipinas are still committed in the program.
“You can expect that it will be a full month of football from November to early December,” Gonzalez said.
Despite all the tremendous odds as the country is undergoing a rebuilding in the men’s football program, Gonzalez hopes that the Philippines will perform well.
“If we go all the way to the final of the Mitsubishi Cup, expect us to play till the end of December,” said Gonzalez.
In the Merdeka Cup, which was revived last year after a long hiatus, the Philippines will battle host Malaysia, defending champion Tajikistan and Lebanon.
In the King’s Cup, the national men’s team will be pitted against host Thailand, Syria, and Tajikistan—teams that have figured in the knockout stage of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup last January.
