SEAG-bound Pinoys vying in Cambodia
IN a needed build-up for the 31st Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine men’s under-23 team is set to compete for the AFF U23 Championship which will start on Monday in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Midfielders Oskari Kekkonen, Oliver Bias, Dennis Chung, Sandro Reyes and goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad were among the 26 players (born after January 1999) who called up for the regional tournament.
The four were holdovers from the national U23 and men’s senior teams that competed in the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers last October and the AFF Suzuki Cup last December.
The Philippines is grouped with hosts Cambodia, Timor-Leste, and Brunei Darussalam in Group A.
Malaysia, Myanmar and Laos comprises Group B, while Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore are bunched in Group C.
Indonesia, the reigning U23 champions which was placed in Group B, yesterday withdrew from the competition due to COVID-19 infections and injuries that hit the squad.
The top team from each group, along with the best second placed team will advance to the knockout stages.
The Philippines will use the tournament as part of its preparation for the Hanoi SEA Games in May.
A mix of young professional and collegiate standouts, the team is coached by Stewart Hall, with Norman Fegidero, JP Merida, Ernie Nierras and goalkeeping coach Noel Marcaida forming the U23 staff.
The team held a closed-circuit training camp for two weeks at the PFF National Training Centre in Carmona, Cavite and Biñan Football Stadium in Laguna before continuing its preparations in Phenom Penh ahead of the competition.
