PFF calls up Azkals Squad For Yemen ACQ

ACQ a few days from now

Earlier this week, the Philippine Football Federation officially called 23 players for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Yemen. The ACQ will take place on September 5 at the Pana-ad Park and Football Stadium in the City of Bacolod, with a 730pm kickoff. To prepare for this match, the team has been in a camp since August 28.

The players called up are as follows:

Misagh Bahardoran (Global Cebu FC)
Dylan de Bruycker (Davao Aguilas FC)
Carlie de Murga (Ceres-Negros FC)
Patrick Deyto (Global Cebu FC)
Neil Etheridge (Cardiff City FC)
Harry Föll (FC Hansa Rostock)
Joshua Grommen (Ceres-Negros FC)
Kevin Ingreso (Ceres-Negros FC)
Tyler Matas (FC Meralco Manila)
Hikaru Minegeshi (Global Cebu FC)
Junior Munoz (Ceres-Negros FC)
Paul Mulders (Global Cebu FC)
Nick O'Donnell (Davao Aguilas FC)
Manny Ott (Ceres-Negros FC)
Mike Ott (Angthong United)
Stephan Palla (RZ Pellets WAC)
Iain Ramsay (Ceres-Negros FC)
Patrick Reichelt (Ceres-Negros FC)
Simone Rota (Davao Aguilas FC)
Dennis Villanueva (Global Cebu FC)
Luke Woodland (Ceres-Negros FC)
James Younghusband (Davao Aguilas FC)
Phil Younghusband (Davao Aguilas FC)

Notable omissions include Javier Patiño and Amani Aguinaldo, who have been sidelined with injuries, as well as Daisuke Sato, who is suspended for this particular fixture as a result of getting a yellow card booking in the past two Asian Cup Qualifiers. Also notable is the absence of Stephan Schröck, which may have just announced his international retirement on a post on his Instagram account.

Even with the omissions, there are seven players set to possibly make their debut in this portion of the qualifiers, with a few making a return to national team duty.

Both Rota and Reichelt battled injuries that sidelined them for quite a bit before becoming healthy enough to get the call, while Palla gets called up for the first time in over a year. The defender last played for the national team during the World Cup Qualifiers.

Potential senior national team debuts await for the other four footballers, with De Bruycker and Grommen fresh from a stint in the Southeast Asian Games with the Under-22 National Team, Matas stepping up thanks to his role with FC Meralco Manila, and Föll as the lone overseas-based newcomer with Bundesliga 3rd division side FC Hansa Rostock.

The team once again will be handled under the auspices of former United States international Thomas Dooley, with Kurt Kowarz and Chieffy Caligdong acting as assistants.