Semis-bound Philippines will be missing a key player as they head into their first semifinal in the Mitsubishi Electric Cup since 2018.
Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT) will be missing the services of skipper Amani Aguinaldo because of suspension during the team’s semifinal game against Thailand in the 2024 Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
The team confirmed that Aguinaldo, 29, will not be eligible to play for the Philippines because of his accumulated yellow cards in the group stage games.
Aguinaldo was handed his second yellow card in the pivotal win over Indonesia, where a total of eight players were booked with the yellow. Indonesia’s Muhammad Ferrari was thrown out of the game because of a red card.
[RELATED: Philippine Men’s National Football Team trumps Indonesia to book Mitsubishi Cup semis]
The center back has been key for the Philippines in creating chances for the team.
But more than his contributions on the pitch, the team will likely miss Aguinaldo’s leadership more, as he was a driving force in keeping the players in line during pivotal moments in their games leading up to the semis.
Faced with the tall task of playing defending champions Thailand, the rest of the team will need to keep their A-game despite Aguinaldo’s absence.
Another key player who will be absent for the Philippines is winger Patrick Reichelt.
At 36 years old, Reichelt announced his retirement from the national team as he heads home to be with his family, with his wife expecting a child in the coming days.
Despite this, the PMNFT will attempt to do the improbable on home soil.
The first leg of the semifinals against Thailand kicks off at 9:00 p.m. at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Friday, December 27.