The Philippine men’s national football team gets ready for a busy 2024 with the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup going underway.
Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez believes despite the Azkals not getting a win in their first two matches of the second round of qualifiers, the team will be able to do better this year.
The Azkals so far sit in third place in Group F with a 0-1-1 win-draw-loss record.
“The Philippine Men’s National Team remains one of PFF’s showcase teams. We hope that the team bounces back and the fans continue getting behind the team the way they did during the last two World Cup qualifying home matches,” Gutierrez said.
The Philippines will have four more matches remaining in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers, starting on 21 March in an away game vs Iraq with the venue yet to be determined.
If the Azkals finish the group as one of the top two teams, they will advance to the third round and earn an outright berth in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Failing to do so would send them to the third round of the Asian Cup qualification which begins in March 2025.
Meanwhile, the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup, which usually starts around December, will have the Azkals try to aim for at least a seat in the semifinals after the 2022 edition saw the team eliminated ear.
