Tom Saintfiet will spearhead the Azkals' upcoming FIFA World Cup AFC qualification in March.
Tom Saintfiet has been appointed as the chief tactician of the Philippine men’s national football team, the Philippine Football Federation announced on Monday.
Saintfiet steps into the position previously held by Michael Weiss, who took on the role in June 2023.
Saintfiet previously coached the Gambia men’s national football team.
The 50-year-old Belgian resigned shortly after his team was knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations despite their commendable effort to advance to the round of 16 by challenging five-time champions Cameroon.
Gambia marked Saintfiet’s tenth stint as a national team coach, and notably, his most prosperous.
Sainfiet led the small West African nation to their inaugural Cup of Nations appearance in Cameroon two years prior and guided them to an impressive run, which included notable victories over strong opponents.
Now with the Philippines, Saintfiet is expected to lead the Azkals as they continue their campaign to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
“I'm very proud to be in this beautiful country of yours. Together, we want to write more history. [The] Philippines has a fantastic, beautiful landscape, beautiful cities, but most of all, beautiful people. We want to make you proud as [a] football community and we are looking forward to this task,” said Saintfiet.
The Azkals are set to face Iraq twice in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC qualification come March 22 and 26.
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