A mix of old and new will be taking the pitch for the Azkals next month.
The Philippine men’s national football team, now under the prying eyes of veteran coach Michael Weiss, will be continuing its buildup for bigger tournaments when it takes on Chinese Taipei and Afghanistan in a pair of international friendlies set during the September FIFA International Match Windows.
Weiss, who is on his second tour of duty with the national team, has tapped 24 players for this round of friendlies, and leading the way is the captain himself, longtime Azkals goalie Neil Etheridge. Joining the 33-year-old Fil-Brit are midfielder Sandro Reyes, forward Gerrit Holtman, who now plays for Turkish side Antalyaspor, and defenders Santiago Rublico of Atletico de Madrid and Michael Kempter of Grasshopper Club Zurich.
The team will also be welcoming back midfielder Manny Ott, who missed the last window of friendlies due to an injury, and forward Jens Rasmussen, who last played for the Azkals in 2022 at the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
Weiss and his wards will begin this window on September 8 versus Chinese Taipei, a team the veteran coach had previously described as being quick in transition and physically strong. The match will be played at the National Stadium in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei. The Azkals will then return to Manila, where they will take on Afghanistan on September 12, 2023 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
The friendlies versus Chinese Taipei and Afghanistan are part of the Azkals’ buildup for the FIFA World Cup 26/AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualifiers to be held this November. The Philippines will be facing Iraq, Vietnam, and either Indonesia or Brunei Darussalam.