Azkals open quest in AFF Cup vs Singapore

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Azkals kick off their quest for Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup glory tonight at Panaad Stadium in Bacolod, gunning for a strong start against opening-day winner Singapore in front of home fans.

The Pinoy booters had missed out on the semifinals of the last edition in 2016 – their worst since their breakout performance  in 2010 – but go into this year’s hostilities with confidence coming off their historic qualification to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and with the arrival of former England coach Sven Goran Eriksson.

“The Suzuki Cup means a lot to Philippine football; this is the competition that made Filipinos aware of the team,” said skipper Phil Younghusband, set to make his 100th cap against the solo lead-seeking Lions. “We’ll be playing with a lot of confidence because we have good quality players and good management.”

Eriksson makes his debut as Azkals coach, having at his disposal a mix of Europe-based players led by Cardiff’s Neil Etheridge and local-based stalwarts led by Younghusband and Stephan Schrock.

“This is a new experience for me and I’m excited for the first game,” said the Swede, bracing for a “tough game”  against the Lions, who beat Indonesia in Friday’s opener in Singapore, 1-0.