Philippine Daily Inquirer
All signs seem to point to German coach
Michael Weiss staying on at the helm of the national side.
The only question that remains is for how
long.
Azkals manager Dan Palami told the
Inquirer that the German, whose two-year contract expires Jan. 15, will be asked
to continue his work with the national team.
But Palami said the length of Weiss’
extension will depend on the Philippine Football Federation, which will discuss
the matter on the first week of January.
“It will not only be my decision but also
the PFF’s,” said Palami, referring to the contract that will be extended to
Weiss.
“What’s important is we make the decision
so we can start preparations for the (AFC) Challenge Cup qualifiers as soon as
possible.”
The Challenge Cup qualifiers where the
Azkals are grouped with Turkmenistan, Brunei and Cambodia are slated in March at
the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Weiss, who is on vacation in Japan, is
actually setting his sights on taking the Azkals to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in
Australia, using the Challenge Cup as a stepping stone to qualify for the
prestigious quadrennial tournament.
“We have to look at the bigger picture and
that is the Asian Cup,” said Weiss.
Palami had expressed satisfaction on the
Azkals’ results under Weiss, who succeeded British coach Simon McMenemy.
With a lineup boosted by several
Europe-based professionals, Weiss took the Azkals from pre-qualifying in the AFC
Challenge Cup all the way to the semifinals and an eventual third place
finish—the highest ranking the country has achieved in the tournament for
emerging Asian football nations.
The Azkals also captured the first
international football title of the country in 99 years with their triumph in
the Philippine Football Peace Cup.
Early this month, Weiss steered the
souped-up Azkals to another semifinal finish in the AFF Suzuki Cup, barely
missing out on a shot at the title after bowing to eventual champion Singapore
in the last four.
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