Azkals can't afford to lose � Palami

By DING MARCELO

MANILA, Philippines � Philippine football�s steps toward respectability will suffer a huge setback should the national football team known as the Azkals lose to Mongolia in their AFC Cup qualifier on February 9 in Bacolod, Dan Palami, the team manager said.

Palami, the guiding force behind football�s remarkable renaissance in the country as its low-key godfather, said it would be shocking to even contemplate a loss at this juncture of football�s buildup.

�I cannot imagine a loss to Mongolia,� he said. �That would almost be disastrous.�

But Palami said only a totally miserable performance by the Azkals would result in a defeat although the Mongolians, like the Filipinos, are also trying to build their game and their confidence and are aiming for an upset victory.

Palami has so much confidence on his boys, now playing under a new coach, that he has decided not to bring three new players from Europe who he has tapped to reinforce the team for the more difficult days ahead.

�We don�t need them at this point,� he said. �We can handle the Mongolians.�

A second match is scheduled in Mongolia in the home and away encounter where the winner will join Myanmar, Palestine and Bangladesh in the AFC Cup later this year.

The more pressing problem for the Philippine Football Federation is the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod, site of the match, which is way behind in the preparations for the match. He said the lights have not yet been installed, though organizers, who were given P6 million by the Philippine Sports Commission to help them set up the stadium and provide logistics for the team, are confident they will be up on game day.

Among those expected to attend is President Noynoy Aquino whose presence would be another testament to the growing stature of football as a sport that Filipinos can excel in if given the right support.

Proof that many Filipinos have embraced the game is that tickets for the match have all been sold out on line when they came up for sale.

Television has also joined the scramble for a piece of the football pie.

After weighing the offers on the table, the PFF chose ABS-CBN to be exclusive broadcaster of the Mongolia series, both here and abroad.

The network giant reportedly offered the best package, promising to broadcast the Bacolod and Mongolia games live on local TV and on its popular Filipino channel abroad.

Manila Bulletin