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Ahead of Asian Cup, Azkals eye redemption in Suzuki Cup

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/sports/03/28/20180327-azkals-tajikistan-football-20-jc.jpg"/></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Azkals&#x27; campaigns in both the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup are now set, after the two tournaments held its draw ceremonies last week.The Azkals got a tough draw in the Asian Cup, as they found themselves in Group C together with Korea Republic, China PR, and Kyrgyz Republic.They will make their Asian Cup debut against Korea Republic on January 7, 2019 at the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai, then face China PR on January 11 at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The last match of the group stage will be against Kyrgyz Republic on January 16 at the Rashid Stadium in Dubai.This is the Philippines&#x27; first appearance in the Asian Cup, which they secured by beating Tajikistan, 2-1, last March 27.&quot;We dreamt that one day, we will have a team in the AFC Asian Cup, and now it has become a reality,&quot; said Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano Araneta.&quot;We are thrilled that the Philippine men&#x27;s national team will be participating in Asia&#x27;s most prestigious tournament for the very first time,&quot; he added. &quot;The group of Korea Republic, China PR, and Kyrgyz Republic will be a challenging task for the team.&quot;&quot;But as we have witnessed every time the players take it to the field, our players will fight hard.&quot;The 24 AFC member association teams were divided into six groups of four teams each for the Asian Cup. The top two teams in the group, along with the four best third-placed teams will advance to the knockout stages.Azkals team manager Dan Palami said their tough group is &quot;a good draw for a debutant team like the Philippines.&quot;&quot;It&#x27;s the toughest tournament in Asia,&quot; he pointed out. &quot;We have to prepare well for the teams we are going to face.&quot;&quot;We played against China PR before and did not get a good result, but we know how to prepare for them. Korea Republic will always be a tough nut to crack. We played against Kyrgyz Republic in the past, and I am sure they will prepare as well,&quot; he added.&quot;Hopefully, we get a good preparation. That&#x27;s all we need to do, and we&#x27;ll leave no stone unturned,&quot; guaranteed Palami, who was in Dubai for last week&#x27;s draw together with Azkals skipper Phil Younghusband.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/football/news/2018/05/07/neil-etheridge-cardiff-city-promoted-premier-league-41288">READ: Azkals keeper Neil Etheridge and Cardiff City promoted to English Premier League</a></li></ul>Younghusband, who scored his 50th international goal against Tajikistan last month, expressed his excitement for the upcoming tournament.&quot;I am excited with the group that we are in,&quot; he said. &quot;It will be a difficult challenge, but that is part of our development, and it is very exciting for Philippine football.&quot;Before they compete in the Asian Cup, however, the Philippine Azkals will first eye a measure of redemption in the AFF Suzuki Cup.The Philippines is participating in Southeast Asia&#x27;s showpiece tournament for the 11th time this year, and are looking to redeem themselves after missing out on a spot in the knockout rounds two years ago.The Azkals are in Group B together with defending champions Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the winner of the qualifying round between Brunei and Timor Leste.The tournament, which previously had two countries hosting the group stages, will have a new format this year. Each country will now play two matches at home and two matches away.In line with the new format, the PFF has nominated the Pana-ad Park and Football Stadium in Bacolod as the primary venue for the Suzuki Cup, with the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila as the alternate venue.The Azkals open their Suzuki Cup campaign against Singapore at home on November 13, followed by an away match on November 17 against the winner of the qualifying round. They will then host Thailand at home on November 21, before wrapping up the group stages against Indonesia on the road on November 25.&quot;The AFF Suzuki Cup serves as the perfect opportunity for the team in anticipation of the AFC Asian Cup,&quot; said Araneta. &quot;The different tournament format will be a challenge not only for the Philippines, but also for the rest of the participating teams.&quot;For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

The Philippine Azkals' campaigns in both the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup are now set, after the two tournaments held its draw ceremonies last week.

The Philippine Azkals' campaigns in both the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup are now set, after the two tournaments held its draw ceremonies last week.