Azkals vs. Cebu

AZKALS fans are in for a treat as the Cebu Football Association is planning to stage a friendly against the national team after its Feb. 9 match in Bacolod.

The Azkals will face Mongolia in the first of the two-leg Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup qualifiers. The second leg was supposed to be on Feb. 16 but since it is too cold in Mongolia, it has been moved to March 17.

“We are planning to invite them to stop by Cebu after their match in Bacolod,” CFA president Richard Montayre told Sun.Star Cebu in an interview yesterday.

Aside from the game, the Azkals are also planning to have a 10-day training camp in Cebu.

It was also Montayre who initiated the Cebu All-Stars vs. Azkals match in 2008, when the team was then preparing for the Challenge Cup games in Cambodia. The Azkals won that match, 6-0.

According to Montayre, the Azkals will be pitted against either a selection of the best players of the different clubs and teams in Cebu City or the No. 1 squad of the Aboitiz Men’s League, which is Crazy Horse.

A former member of the Crazy Horse team, Kim Relucio, is also with the Azkals.

Training venue

Aside from the friendly, Montayre also plans to hold a youth clinic, a meet-and-greet with the fans. He also plans to have members of the Azkals award the winners in the Aboitiz Football Cup.

“The national team wants to tour around the Philippines. They already went to Davao and will go to the Visayas next,” he said.

The Azkals trained in Davao before leaving for the Suzuki Cup last year, where they raised awareness in football when they made the semifinals.

As for their training camp, Montayre is suggesting the Azkals use either the Aboitiz Sports Field in the Mandaue Reclamation Area or the Don Bosco Boys Home field in Liloan.

“If they want exclusivity, we have Don Bosco Lilo-an. We have no problem with the venue,” said Montayre, who will finalize everything with the CFA board and with Azkals team manager Dan Palami.

“I will have to discuss everything with Dan Palami either when he comes here next week, in Manila or in Bacolod,” he said.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 11, 2011.