FIVE days before the Philippine Azkals face Malaysia at the National Stadium Sports Hub in Singapore, there was a sense of urgency in the voice of team manager Dan Palami when we had a conversation the other night.
Palami says due to some technical difficulties, especially with the online requirements needed by players and the coaching staff to fulfil to enter Singapore, the dream to see for the first time a full-strength Azkals in the Tri-Nations Series 2022 may not materialize.
“We won’t have much preparation because all the players are with their clubs right now. The Tri-Nations Cup is actually a preparation for the June Asian Cup qualifiers. We want to make sure that we are able to look at all the players, especially the new ones and how they fare in this particular phase of our preparation. The only problem that we have right now is we are having difficulty getting entry into Singapore via their apps. Somehow some QR codes can’t be read and because of this, we are having trouble finalizing the flight schedules for a lot of players and staff,” Palami revealed.
Palami underscores the importance of the Azkals’ participation in the tournament, which really serves as friendlies between Malaysia and Singapore. All three teams are in the third and final round of qualifiers to the Asian Cup 2023 June. Only 11 out of the 24 teams in the last qualifiers will progress to the tournament proper.
“We will do what we can to make sure the country is represented but the objective of preparing for for the June qualifiers might not be met, if all of the players whom we have called up fail to show. This is not a matter of just having friendlies, but really more on the preparation of the team for the Asian Cup qualifiers and getting some time together. If many players we are looking at for June will not be there then the primary purpose of this camp will not be met. Of course, we will play the friendlies but we want to make sure that more than that our preparations for June are on target,” Palami explained.
Palami admits they are planning a alternative just in case the targets are not met in Singapore. But then again, players availability is still the primary concern.
“Unfortunately this is the only international window prior to the June tournament. So this is really a crucial phase in our preparation. Maybe what we could do is perhaps have another friendly before going to Mongolia in June. However, other than this particular window, the next one will be the tournament,” Palami said.
Palami said he has been used to having so many concerns and problems whenever the Azkals embark on a tournament or for a tune-up game abroad. Still, he is hoping that 2022 will be a better, kinder year for the Azkals.
“We always had problems and now is not an exception. Of course, we manage to make do but we’re tired of that. I mean, as the manager, I don’t want to make do. I want to put in the team that we actually plan on fielding rather than coming up with an alternative or other options,” Palami said.
Now on to the good news. Palami revealed that the long-awaited debut of Gerrit Holtmann in an Azkals’ uniform remains on track.
“He has been coordinating with the team or his representatives for flights and for information regarding arrangements. So as far as we are concerned, it looks like Holtmann will be making his debut for the Astros,” Palami beamed on probably the biggest star to ever play for the team.
Holtmann, of course, is a winger for VfL Bochum in the German Bundesliga.
Palami says aside from having the in form Holtmann on the Azkals’ side, he brings a lot of intangibles to the team.
“Not only in terms of his experience, but also in terms of his quality as a player. Of course, this is a team game and we have done well as a team but knowing that there’s somebody there who has been doing well in one of the top leagues in the world is something else. So we are very happy to have him in the squad and a lot of players will learn from him.
We are very happy to be playing alongside him,” Palami added.
Palami is confident that aside from Holtmann, the rest of Azkals will step up in the Ulaanbaatar qualifiers, but he needs to start first with the basic requirement before taking on Palestine, Yemen and host Mongolia.
“We have qualified before and we hope to qualify again. Right now I’m more concerned with being able to field in the team or the squad that we want because then everything will follow,” Palami said.
Including the fans. Palami says plans are also in the works to encourage more fan participation in the build-up to the June qualifiers. Palami cited that their undying support and perseverance, that despite all the heartbreaks, they are still rooting for the team.
“Perhaps by getting them involved and guiding them, they could help us and provide us with analysis of other teams.
Analysis of some players that we want to be considered or to be monitored. So it’s gonna be exciting for Azkals fans in the next few months. We want to integrate them into our preparations,” Palami added.
Resilience is definitely one the trademarks of the Azkals and going to Singapore and eventually to Mongolia will take the best of them again. Here’s hoping that the team’s struggles will inspire other Filipinos that go through daily challenges not of their choosing but because some people use resilience as an excuse for incompetence.
Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!
