Philippines team to play friendlies against Bahrain

By PATRICK SALOMON

BAHRAIN is ready to welcome the Philippines' senior men's national football team later this week for the first-ever Football Friendship Games. The Games are set to feature two friendly matches between the visiting Filipinos, who are known more popularly as 'the Azkals', and Bahrain's under-23 Olympic team.

The first tune-up will be played Saturday at the National Stadium in Riffa, followed by the second on Monday at the Muharraq Club stadium in Arad.

In preparation for the event, the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) held a coordinating meeting with representatives of Creator Marketing Consultancy, who are the Games' organisers.

Present were BFA vice-president Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, BFA coordinator and follow-up director Hassan Ismail, and Creator representatives Rene and Edith Fuentes.

Shaikh Ali affirmed Bahrain's eagerness in welcoming 'the Azkals' to the kingdom, and said that their visit will further enhance the already strong relationship between the kingdom's Bahraini and Filipino communities, as well as between the BFA and the Philippine Football Federation.

Bahrain's Olympic team will be using the friendly matches to help prepare for their upcoming campaign in the main round of Asian qualifying for next year's London Olympic Games.

Tickets

'The Azkals', meanwhile, will be gearing up for their matches against Kuwait later this month, which are in the second round of continental qualification for the 2014 Fifa World Cup. 'The Azkals' are expected to fly directly to Kuwait City from Bahrain for the first leg scheduled on July 23. The return match will be played in Manila on July 28.

Tickets for the Friendship Games are now available. They cost BD1 apiece for each friendly match.

For inquiries on ticket outlets and other information, call 37768683, 39297464, 36271121, 36064822, 36598588, 39678323 or 39678313, or call Creator Marketing Consultancy office at 17212682.

Gulf Daily News