AFC U-23 Championship 2016 Qualifiers draw on Thursday

Kuala Lumpur: Forty-four nations will find out their AFC U-23 Championship 2016 qualifying opponents during an official draw to be held in the Malaysian capital city on Thursday.

The draw will begin at 11am (Malaysia time, GMT8+) at AFC House for the 16-nation biennial competition, which was launched as the AFC U-22 Championship last year, and subsequently renamed as the AFC U-23 Championship.

The seeding for the draw is based on the rankings of the AFC U-22 Championship Oman 2013 with Afghanistan, Brunei and Mongolia, who did not participate in Oman 2013, being seeded as the lowest-ranked teams during the draw.

Qatar, the hosts of the AFC U-23 Championship 2016 Finals, will not participate in the qualifying competition which is divided into two zones – The West Zone for participating nations from the West and South Central regions, and the East Zone for East Asian and ASEAN nations.

There will be three groups of five teams and two groups of four teams in the West Zone (total five groups, 23 teams) while the East Zone will have five groups of four teams (total five groups, 20 teams).

Ten group winners and five best-second placed teams from all groups will qualify for the final competition (total 15 qualifying teams).

Iran, Bangladesh and Pakistan will be the hosts for the West Zone while the East Zone qualifying competition will take place in China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Chinese Taipei. These hosting nations will be drawn into separate groups.

Iraq claimed the inaugural AFC U-22 Championship title when they beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 (pictured), while Jordan claimed third place by downing Korea Republic 3-2 in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw in regulation time.

The AFC U-23 Championship 2016 will serve as the Olympics qualifiers in every alternate edition. The top three teams from the 2016 edition will represent Asia at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

afc.com

AFF SUZUKI CUP: Thais aim for away goal

BANGKOK (2 Dec 2014) – Away goal will be the order of the day for Thailand as they look to stamp their authority against the Philippines whom they will be up against in the first leg semi-finals of the AFF Suzuki Cup this weekend.

The Philippines will entertain Thailand at home at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on 6 December.

“We must score at least an away goal,” said Thai coach Kiatisak Senamuang.

“We have to seize the advantage otherwise we will be under pressure playing at home for the return leg.”

Part of Kiatisak’s confidence came the fact that the Thais were the only team to win all their matches in the group stage. They beat Singapore 2-1 before edging Malaysia 3-2 and then Myanmar 2-0 in their final Group B tie.

Thailand had also beaten the Philippines in a friendly just prior to the start of the AFF Suzuki Cup.

“We know the Philippines well but still we have to be prepared as they will be playing at home.” Added Kiatisak.

“Our goal is to win the AFF Suzuki Cup as a New Year’s present for Thailand,” added Kiatisak.

aseanfootball.org

AFF Suzuki Cup Semifinals

https://www.ticketworld.com.ph/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=A50F0627-6B94-4DF7-9050-2ECA8BADD4EA

PFF expects sellout crowd for Azkals' Suzuki Cup semis home tie vs Thailand.

From: Karlo Sacamos

THE Philippine Football Federation (PFF) hopes to have a sellout crowd inside the Rizal Memorial Stadium, which hosts the Azkals’ semifinal home match in the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup against Thailand on Saturday as tickets to the event started selling on Tuesday night. Tickets, which range from P2,000 to P100, are sold via TicketWorld through its online booking and ticket outlets nationwide. TicketWorld tickets, though, are reservations only and need to be exchanged for actual game tickets on match day, which kicks off at 8 p.m., at designated ticket booths in front of the grandstand entrance of the Rizal Coliseum. Game tickets will also be sold at the said booths. “We wish the stadium will be filled with spectators to cheer for and further inspire the team,” PFF general secretary Ed Gastanes told Spin.ph on Tuesday. “The prices are substantially lower than the prices in 2012,” he added as the prices two years ago went as much as P3,000 to a low of P300. See the full price list and its corresponding seat below: P2,000 – Lower Grandstand (Tier 1) P1,000 – Lower Grandstand (Tier 2 left and right) P1,000 – Upper Grandstand (Tier 2 center) P500 – Upper Grandstand (Tier 3 extreme left and right) P300 – Bleachers (center) P100 – Bleachers (left, right, and behind the goals)

Read more at: http://www.spin.ph/football/azkals/news/pff-esellout-crowd-for-azkals-suzuki-cup-semis-home-match-as-ticket-prices-substantially-lower-than-those-in-2012-edition

Sending-off in Swiss league game makes 'keeper Roland Muller available for Azkals home stand

From: Karlo Sacamos

THE defensive boost the Philippine men’s football team is expecting in the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup could be arriving earlier. Originally available only starting in the semifinal away match against Thailand on December 10, goalkeeper Roland Muller could make it in time for the Azkals’ home game on Saturday. Coach Thomas Dooley said the Filipino-German goalkeeper incurred a red card in his club Servette FC’s penultimate match of the Swiss league season, sidelining him for the team’s last match. The sudden development could make him available for national duty for an Azkals side that’s seeking to bounce back from a 3-1 loss to Vietnam in the final day of Group A hostilities in Hanoi and eager to clinch a breakthrough Finals appearance in Southeast Asia’s showpiece tournament. “We’re still awaiting confirmation from the club (if he could come earlier),” Dooley said on Tuesday in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum. If Muller is released, Dooley said the 26-year-old goalkeeper could arrive in Manila as early as Thursday. Muller, the Azkals' last line of defense in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup, could challenge Patrick Deyto for the starting spot.

Read more at: http://www.spin.ph/football/news/clubs-loss-is-countrys-gain-as-red-card-recipient-roland-muller-could-bolster-azkals-ahead-of-pr

AFF Suzuki Cup . Philippines vs Thailand , Ticket news

Football training center for national teams now beeing built in Cavite

Joshua Lopez, News5 ·

The country’s national football teams will soon have a new home as no other than FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Sunday led the groundbreaking ceremony of a two-hectare national training center in Carmona, Cavite.

The venue, which will house an artificial pitch, a separate grass pitch as well as a futsal field, is aimed to provide a regular training facility for the country’s national football teams.

“It is good that the national teams will have their own home here. They know where they belong and know where they can come and they can practice and we are very happy to support it. In the past years football has improved especially your national team,” Blatter said.

The Manila Jockey Club, operator of the San Lazaro Leisure and Business Park where the facility is located, hopes that the venue would pave the way for a new football stadium that would serve as home of the Azkals and other national football teams.

“Because if this will be the national training facility and possibly one of the main playing venues of the national team, we’re envisioning a viewing area of of maybe 20,000 to 30,000 because as football grows in the country, we have to take note of the infrastructure to support this growth,” Manila Jockey Club president Alfonso G. Reyno III said.

The land is leased to the Philippine Football Federation for 25 years. The construction of the facility is expected to be finished next year.

http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/football-training-center-for-national-teams-now-being-built-in-cavite

Palami explains why he was forced to drop plan to hold Azkals match at Philippine Stadium

From: Karlo Sacamos

PHILIPPINE men’s football team manager Dan Palami explained that lack of time forced him to drop the Philippine Stadium as venue for the Azkals’ semifinal home match in the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup. The Azkals boss had earlier said he was eyeing the Iglesia ni Cristo-owned 25,000-seat stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan as a possible host of the Filipino booters’ home game against Thailand on Saturday. But time constraints, Palami said, forced the Azkals to turn to the ever-reliable 12,000-seat Rizal Memorial Stadium. “Considering the proximity of the home game date, the logistical requirements and preparation might be that it will be too difficult to hold it in the new stadium,” Palami said. “Personally, I would really want to play in a twenty-five thousand-seat stadium, of course, with twenty-five thousand people in attendance. But then again, with all the logistical requirements of a home game, with all the permits we have to get, maybe we’ll have to settle for Rizal for now.” “Hopefully when we get to the Finals, maybe then we could talk about the Philippine Stadium,” he was quick to add.

Palami cited one factor that could favor the Azkals in using Rizal, which has a pitch that was recently turned into artificial from grass. “Thailand is not really keen on playing on artificial pitch, so maybe that’s a good thing for us,” he said. “Most of the players we have on the team play on that turf for most time of the year.” “The littlest of advantages we can get, then let’s go for it.”

Read more at: http://www.spin.ph/football/news/philippine-stadium-scratched-off-as-azkals-suzuki-cup-semis-home