Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) — The Philippine Azkals are all set to return to action when they take on Nepal in a friendly match Thursday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The match is the first of two international friendlies slated for the national squad during the June 2023 FIFA window.
It will also serve as the Azkals’ preparation for the upcoming joint FIFA World Cup and American Football Conference (AFC) Asian Cup qualifiers set late this year. A total of 26 players composed of veteran and young players were invited to take part in the June window.
But given the limited time to prepare, returning head coach Hans Michael Weiss said he will be relying heavily on his familiarity with the players.
READ: Hans Michael Weiss back as Azkals head coach
“We were focusing pretty much on tight spaces and I want to see how players deal with pressure because nowadays football is about tight spaces and how you can get out of pressure,” he said.
The coach added that they will also try out a more offensive-oriented style of football for the match set on Thursday.
Among the players is national team mainstay Daisuke, who says they are on a mission to revive the Philippine Azkals.
\”I hope that all the fans from the PH come back to support us because I kinda feel that we lost the connection with the fans a little bit, that’s something we are looking to get back,\” he said.
In a pre-match conference, Nepal head coach Vincenzo Annese said he expects a tough game against the Azkals.
\”Our previous game in the Philippines was 4-1 in favor of the Philippines so my expectation is to really do a great performance tomorrow and try to do the maximum that we can for this important game,\” he said.
