Cedelf P. Tupas
MANILA---The Philippine football team has widened its player pool for the AFC Challenge Cup group stage qualifying with the inclusion of foreign-based players and those taken from the tryouts that German coach Hans Michael Weiss conducted last month.
Among the additions in the 48-player list that will be submitted by the Philippine Football Federation to the AFC are Filipino-Danish goalkeeper Michael Falkesgaard, Filipino-Germans Patrick Reichelt and Manuel Ott and Filipino-Scottish James Hall.
Falkesgaard, 19, is a goalkeeper currently playing for Brondby in the Danish second division.
He has represented Denmark in the Under-19 and Under-20 levels, but Azkals team manager Dan Palami is still inviting the 6-foot-3 Falkesgaard to join the national team since the International Football Federation (Fifa) allows players to switch countries at any level.
Palami learned about Falkesgaard from Filipino-Danish players Dennis Cagara and Jerry Lucena, who are also expected to see action for the Azkals if they make it to the group stage qualifying in Bangladesh.
Reichelt, who stands 5-foot-10 and can play striker or winger, is attached with Energie Cottbus II in the German fourth division, while Hall signed a one-year deal with the English Premiere League club in 2007.
Hall, 21, has long been in the Azkals’ wish list but injuries and his commitment with Everton before prevented him from suiting up for the Azkals. He, along with younger brother Ryan, was in Bacolod to watch the Azkals beat Mongolia, 2-0.
The 18-year-old Ott, who plays for FC Ingolstad, started in the three games for the Azkals in the AFF Suzuki Cup qualifying event in Vientiane, Laos last year.
Palami is still hoping that Filipino-German rightback Stephan Schrock, who plays for Greuther Furth, will be able to beef up the squad if it makes it to Bangladesh.
inquirer.net
Pic : Michael Falkesgaard
I like this article because I am born and live in Denmark ;D
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