PFF gives Dooley 2-year extension

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Football Federation has formally given Azkals coach Thomas Dooley a two-year extension, handing the German-American the task of leading the team to greater heights in major Asian and Southeast Asian-level competitions.

Dooley, whose contract expired last month, will stay on until March 31, 2018, the PFF announced yesterday.

PFF general secretary Edwin Gastanes said they have set lofty goals for the next two years with Dooley continuing to call the shots. The Azkals will seek a breakthrough in both the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup in November and the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers group stage next year.

“One: A finals appearance in the AFF Suzuki Cup which the Philippines is co-hosting with Myanmar in November 2016,” Gastanes told The STAR.

“Two: A good showing during the 2017 group stage qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 so as to be in the 24-country Final Stage,” he added.

Dooley impressed the PFF and team management in his initial two years at the helm, extending the pool of talents by calling up some local-based booters and youngsters to give them a chance to show their stuff.

The former US World Cup captain steered the Azkals to the semifinals of the 2014 Suzuki Cup and the finals of the AFC Challenge Cup in Maldives the same year. Under Dooley, Phl also hit an all-time high of 116 in the Fifa world rankings last month, spiked by a historic win over North Korea in the World Cup Qualifiers.

A series of international friendlies are being lined up for the Azkals prior to the Suzuki Cup campaign, among them a home-and-away tune-up against Kyrgyzstan, and possibly a match with Spanish side RCD Espanyol.