Azkals eye history vs Lankans

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine football team has a clear shot at history right at the start of the qualifying tournament for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

No national squad has ever hurdled past the first round of the qualifier since the World Cup was introduced in 1930, and the Azkals hope they could be the first to do it.

The Azkals will face Sri Lanka on Wednesday at the start of their first-round home-and-away qualifying tiff, and team manager Dan Palami said if they get past Sri Lanka, it will be a big boost to football’s step towards respectability in the country.

“If we get past Sri Lanka, this is the first time that the Philippines will go to the second round of the qualifiers, which is already an achievement,” Palami said.

If the Azkals overcome Sri Lanka, they will meet Kuwait next.

Star striker Phil Younghusband echoed Palami’s sentiments.

“This is potentially a historic result. We have not entered the last two qualifiers and have not won a game in this competition before so if we are to qualify for the next round, football will have taken a massive step forward in the Philippines,” said Younghusband, who was recently named one of the Kenny Rogers Roasters' brand ambassadors.

Philippine Football Federation president Nonong Araneta also expressed optimism about the match, saying "This will be exciting for football."

It will be the first time the Philippines will join the World Cup qualifiers after a decade, the last time being in the 2001 when it hosted one of the three group matches against Laos at the Philsports Arena.

The Philippine team, when it was not yet known as the Azkals, had a forgettable experience in its last two stints in the qualifiers – in 2001 and 1997 – having lost five matches while earning a 1-1 draw in its home match opposite Laos.

In the 1997 group stage qualifiers for the 1998 World Cup in France, the Filipino booters lost to India, 0-2, host Qatar 0-5, and Bangladesh 0-3.

In the 2001 group stage qualifiers for the 2002 South Korea and Japan World Cup, they also faltered, losing to Oman, 0-2 and Syria, 1-5.

The Azkals wrapped up their two-week training camp in Germany on Saturday and arrived to Colombo Sunday.

Francis Santiago, Manila Bulletin