De Jong won't join Azkals

By FRANCIS SANTIAGO

MANILA, Philippines – Midfielder Jason de Jong has ruled himself out of the Philippine Azkals’ matches in the group qualifying tournament of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup that starts March 21 in Rangoon, Myanmar.


De Jong, who missed the second leg of the pre-qualifying showdown against Mongolia last Tuesday, said his commitments with his club, Persiba Balikpapan, in the Indonesian Super League has prevented him from joining the team in Myanmar’s biggest city, where the Philippines will play the host (March 21), Palestine (March 23) and Bangladesh (March 25) in a single round eliminations.


Team coordinator Patrick Ace Bright broke the sad news about 20-year-old De Jong.


De Jong was able to play in the first leg of the series against Mongolia in Bacolod City.


“Hindi siya pinayagan ng club niya sa Indonesia,” Bright said yesterday.


Star striker Phil Younghusband will also miss the Azkals’ Myanmar campaign after pulling his hamstring last Tuesday against Mongolia.


The return of a key player and addition of promising recruits, though, could offset de Jong and Younghusband’s absence in the tournament.


The Azkals need to win at least two of their three matches in Myanmar to make it to the main draw next year.


Bright said goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and Rob Gier have confirmed their return to the Azkals, while five new players will be added to beef up their line up.


They will have two new strikers in Fil-Spanish Angel Aldeguer Guirado, who will fly in from Spain today, and Fil-German William Espinosa Guiridon plus Fil-German John Patrick Hinrichsen, whose mother is from Pagadian City, and David Basa and Yannick Tuason.

Manila Bulletin