Azkals next take a bite on Asian Challenge Cup

WITH the World Cup campaign over, it’s time for the Philippine Azkals to move on, according to German coach Michael Weiss, and set their sights on their next big target: the 2012 Asian Challenge Cup.

"We should now prepare for next year’s Asian Challenge Cup with a view of qualifying for the Asian Cup in 2015," Weiss said shortly before he left for Germany last Sunday for a 10-day break after the Nationals lost 1-2 last Thursday to Kuwait in the home leg of their Asian World Cup qualifiying match.

"We hope we can also put up a strong team for the Asian Challenge Cup, which will be a qualifying event for the main draw of the Asian Cup," he added, referring to the tournament set March 3 to 18, 2012.

Last weekend, the Asian Football Confederation Executive Committee approved Nepal as the host of the eight-nation tournament also featuring Palestine, India, Turkmenistan, Maldives, Tajikistan and defending champion North Korea.

The Asian Challenge Cup champion will earn a slot in the 2015 Asian Cup, the continent’s most prestigious soccer competition, set to be held in Australia.

The Azkals advanced to the tournament after a runner-up finish to the Palestinians in the group eliminations in Myanmar last May.

One of the concerns Weiss said he had to address is the possibility regular goalie Neil Etheridge might not be available full-time for the national team’s international engagements because he is set to be promoted as main reliever for his club Fulham in the English Premier League.

"If he plays for the first team, we’ll have a problem. We will need a keeper desperately," he said. "This will be a big, big point of concern."

The German mentor said they are seriously looking at French-born 18-year-old Alphonse Areola, a 6-foot-2 goalie who plays for French First Division side Paris St. Germain. His parents are Filipinos.

"But we will not know if he will be available to play for us until we ask him," Weiss said.

Aside from another dependable goalkeeper, Weiss said he’s also scouting for more strikers to boost the frontline led by Angel Guirado and Phil Younghusband.

"But I don’t want to bring in too many players (overseas) because it might kill the team spirit," Weiss said of the balancing act he’s trying to maintain within the squad.

The Nationals will take a three-week vacation and will return to train on Aug. 21 with the hopefuls of the National Under-23 squad set to compete in the 23rd Indonesia Southeast Asian Games in November.

Bong Pedralvez, Business Malaya Insight