MANILA, Philippines – The last-minute cancellation of their AFC Challenge Cup qualifier against Brunei was a boon to the Philippine Azkals, as they were given more time to prepare for their games against Cambodia and Turkmenistan.
In an interview on ANC’s "Headstart" on Monday, Azkals striker Phil Younghusband said that with Brunei’s pull-out, the players had more time to gel.
“Having the Brunei game cancelled sort of helped us,” he said. “We had more sessions together, we played 11 vs 11 in training.”
“We were able to play with each other and get used to each other, “ Younghusband added.
The extra days of training greatly benefited the national team, and it showed in their game against Cambodia, where they scored a stunning eight goals.
In their last game of the qualifiers, they gained revenge against Challenge Cup tormentors Turkmenistan, beating them 1-0 to win their group.
But both Phil and his brother James believe the Azkals need to gain more chemistry and cohesion if they hope to be successful in the main draw of the AFC Challenge Cup in Maldives next year.
“We need the team to gel, to benefit the team cohesion,” said James. “But when it comes to the national team, it’s not full time. It’s more like, you’re only called up to represent your country.”
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