Tom Saintfiet only lasted for six months as the Philippine men's national football team head coach.
The Philippine Men’s National Football Team woke up on Thursday, August 29 in search of a new head coach.
This is after the Malian Football Federation announced that they hired Tom Saintfiet as the new head tactician of their men’s national football team, also known as “The Eagles.”
Mali made the move in preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign.
Philippine football officials though, said this wasn't exactly a surprise.
“From my first meeting with Tom, this is something we had discussed—that if a bigger opportunity came to him, I wouldn’t stand in his way,” Freddy Gonzalez, Director of Senior National Teams for the Philippines, said in a statement.
“Tom came into the Philippine job with every intention of helping with our project, but his heart has always been in Africa. We thank him for his service and wish him well in his new role,” he added.
Saintfiet, according to a report published on the official website of the Confederation of African Football, “activated a clause [in his contract] allowing him to return to African football.” The report further noted that the 51-year-old has signed a two-year deal with Mali.
It was a stunning development for the Philippines, who are now in search of a new head coach just days before competing in the 2024 Pestabola Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on September 4-8.
Saintfiet replaced former head coach Michael Weiss earlier this year and was in charge for the Nationals in four official matches. That included defeats both at home and away against Iraq and losses to regional rivals Vietnam and Indonesia.
The Philippines will kick off their campaign in the Merdeka Cup against hosts Malaysia on September 4.