MANILA, Philippines - Its Fifa World Cup dream dashed for now, the Philippines shifts its aspirations to the next big competitions in the region � the Southeast Asian Games in November for the Under-23 team and the AFC Challenge Cup next year for the Azkals seniors side.
Taking off from the Azkals� breakthrough second-round stint in the World Cup Asian Qualifiers, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) looks to win a first-ever medal in the SEAG in Indonesia, setting training camps abroad to hone up the squad.
�Coach Michael Weiss has already submitted a program so we�ll just be going to discuss the budget. There will be two camps abroad for the U-23. One in the Middle East. And if the situation in Japan has already normalized, then we want to go to Japan,� PFF president Nonong Araneta said.
Some of the younger Azkals like Jason de Jong, Simon Greatwich and Manuel Ott will reinforce the U-23 side, boosting Phl�s drive to break into the medal picture in men�s football for the very first time in the biennial meet.
�We will definitely vie, work for that medal. We have a good chance, we�ve a good team and I think with the camp that we�re planning, with the training we�re preparing, the team will go a long way,� said Araneta.
Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge of Fulham is eligible at age 21, but he�s non-committal for the SEAG campaign as of now.
�I�m not sure (if I�ll be available). I still have to check my schedule (in England),� said the Fil-Britisth Azkals star.
Weiss said he will bring some of the youngsters with the Azkals senior team when they compete in the Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung, Taiwan Sept. 28-Oct. 6 �to test their readiness for the SEA Games.� After this, an intensive four-week training is up, highlighted by camps in Dubai and Bahrain.
The Long Teng will also start off the Azkals� buildup for the AFC Challenge Cup from March 3-8, 2012. The winner qualifies for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup finals, Asia�s premiere football meet where reigning champ Japan and powerhouses Australia and South Korea are already seeded.
�The Azkals� main forcus will be the AFC Challenge Cup eight months from now. We�ll be trying to go directly to the Asian Cup so for this one, we have to get all players ready,� said Weiss.
The Azkals will take a monthlong break after their 1-5 loss to fancied Kuwait in the World Cup prelims, including a 1-2 heartbreaker at the Rizal pitch.
�This is an achievement even if we lost twice to Kuwait,� Weiss said. �We�re in a growing process and the team can only learn from these experiences.�
philstar
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