The Philippines will receive a major boost with the return of promising winger Santi Rublico ahead of their Leg 1 semis match against Thailand in the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
The Philippine men's national football team is gearing up for a daunting challenge as they take on seven-time ASEAN champions Thailand in the first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup semifinals on Friday, December 27, at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
Ranked 150th in the world, the Philippines faces a significant gap against world no. 97 Thailand. However, head coach Albert Capellas remains optimistic, emphasizing teamwork over individual brilliance.
"In this tournament, we are experts in finding the balance. We have to. I think it's one of the keys that we are here today because we should find the balance with the minutes that we deliver to every player," Capellas said.
"We are a group. Nobody is more important than the group. I always have this phrase that alone we cannot achieve anything, but together we can achieve a lot of things,” he continued.
The team will be missing key figures, including suspended captain Amani Aguinaldo and recently retired vice-captain Patrick Reichelt.
Capellas paid tribute to Reichelt, the PMNFT’s second all-time leading scorer with 16 international goals, describing him as a player who gave everything for the national team.
"He really is a player who did everything for the national team. If you know stories about it, you will figure out. That means he deserves a proper goodbye. He deserves the appreciation from all footballers in the Philippines and for the country, and also for me as a coach and for all of us inside the team," said Capellas.
"He has contributed with his experience to help the young players, to share his experience, to play this tournament but also the tournaments that we played before. I've been very pleased to have the chance to meet first the person and then the footballer. I feel sad that I cannot count on him more times," he added.
Amid these challenges, Capellas announced the return of promising talent Santi Rublico, which is expected to provide a significant boost.
Rublico last played for the Philippines during the 2024 King's Cup in Thailand back in October.
The 20-year-old winger has since been making waves in international football and is set to make his first appearance for the national team in the tournament.
"Again, very happy that the club allowed us, that Santi can join us, and now he's part of the group. He knows all the players, knows the system, knows me very well, and he has the same chances that all the other players to get minutes in the coming games," Capellas said.
The stakes are high as the Philippines aim to overcome Thailand’s dominance and carve a path to the finals.
In their last five matches, the Filipinos have only come close once against the Thais, drawing 1-1 back in the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup.
Since then, Thailand has continued to dominate the Philippines in regional tournaments.
But recently, times have changed for the Philippines as the country looks promising as of late.
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Kickoff is set for tomorrow at 9 p.m., with the national team hoping to make the most of their home advantage before heading to Thailand for the second leg.