Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Only four nations from Asia will make it into the 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals in Russia, and Azkals manager Dan Palami believes that the chances of the Philippines to make it are “promising.”
The Philippines currently sits in second place in Group H of the Asian World Cup Qualifiers after two games, only trailing North Korea by goal difference.
“It’s a tall order for us to make the third round, especially with our group that includes some very strong teams,” said Palami. “But the team [Azkals] got off to a good start with two wins and the performance was also very satisfying, so it’s really promising.”
Palami indentified South Korea, Japan, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Iraq as the powerhouses of Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and expects them to play a big role in the qualifiers.
“These [AFC] teams are always expected to figure prominently in the qualifiers,” said Palami. “We need some luck along the way to make the next round, but as they say, anything is possible.”
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The Azkals have been reinforced by foreign-based talent, with the likes of Luke Woodland, Stephan Palla, Iain Ramsay, and Kevin Ingreso, who made their debut for the Azkals during the last international break.
Their debuts coincided with the return of Neil Etheridge, Javier Patino, and Stephan Schrock into the the national team, to complement the talents of Phil Younghusband and the other locally based Azkals.
“[They] seemed to have adjusted to coach Dooley’s system,” said Palami. “We are not only winning but playing good football as well. It’s a team that the country can be proud of, which is what I always wanted to form.”
The Azkals resume their World Cup quest on September 8 in the Philippines, in a match against Uzbekistan.
