(in photo: Philippine Men’s National Football Team taking a break from training in Dubai)
by Kevin Estrada
Even without some of the main personnel, the Philippine Men’s National Football Team looks to remain in control of their own destiny and end the year unbeaten when they face the Maldives away in a crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday, November 18.
In their own patch, the Maldives have lost their last two competitive fixtures against the Philippines, most notably in an extra time thriller in the semifinal of the now-defunct Challenge Cup eleven years ago.
Carles Cuadrat’s men are on top of their group, aiming to take all three points and head into their much-awaited reverse fixture at Tajikistan next year, with the ticket to Saudi Arabia 2027 up for grabs.
“We have to be the best team in all of our games,” he said last month after the Filipinos took down East Timor that capped off the homestand in Tarlac.
The Spanish gaffer made adjustments in the squad in response to the absence of forward Gerrit Holtmann, winger Zico Bailey, and defenders Adrian Ugelvik, Christian Rontini and Jesper Nyholm due to possible club commitments being the main reason.
Ugelvik, Nyholm and Holtmann will have to wait until November 22 for their respective league matches for Thai League’s PT Prachuap and 2. Bundesliga outfit VfL Bochum.
However, Rontini and Bailey will have to be on call earlier on the 16th for Italian fifth-tier outfit Antella, and USL Championship contenders New Mexico United, with the latter facing Tulsa for the Western Conference title in their own playoffs.
In their places will be the returning Kike Linares (Lamphun), Scott Woods (Kuching City), Gavin Muens (Kaya-Iloilo) and Noah Leddel (Cebu), with the latter two being the first call-ups from the Philippines Football League since May.
Also making their return to the squad are Vukovar’s Paul Tabinas, and New England midfielder Alex Monis as the side are now in the middle of their Dubai training camp before heading into the island nation.
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