Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

MANILA – Don&#x27;t expect major changes in the squad list of the Philippine Men&#x27;s National Football Team for its upcoming match in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers next month.PMNFT head coach Carles Cuadrat said they are keeping their core intact for the next window in November, following the back-to-back victories against Timor-Leste.&quot;We have a core of players, so the normal thing is to be consistent in the players that are giving results to the team. As Mico [Gutierrez] said, at the same time, of course we are working about if we can get new passports, that kind of thing. But I think that it&#x27;s not going to be happening this year. We have to talk about 2026. So for the next November training camp, the list will be very similar,&quot; he said at a press conference on Thursday in Makati City.Cuadrat said having this core helped them during the recent window, where they only had one day of training as a full squad ahead of their match in Darwin, Australia.&quot;The good thing is that the same group of players have been working together in the national team for the last months. So the tactics, as you see, we don&#x27;t change a lot the tactics. There is not a lot of changes in the line-up,&quot; he shared.When asked about the addition of possible new faces in the team, Cuadrat said they are considering all options for future windows.&quot;We are always trying to make the best competitive team to try to qualify. So, yes, we are paying attention to all the options. We know about some players that maybe there is a chance that they can join us. So, yeah, we are ready to make the best possible list for the next two games,&quot; he said.&quot;The ones that are being considered are the ones who have already played in the other matches. But really new ones, I have no information yet and I&#x27;m not aware. But we have constant communication with the future prospects that may play maybe next year for the national team,&quot; Cuadrat shared.<div>NOT AN EASY PROCESS</div>PMNFT manager Mico Gutierrez said they are open to Filipinos living overseas or foreigners with Filipino descent who want to play for the national team.Gutierrez and Cuadrat said they are aware of online discussions floating possible names including those playing in leagues abroad like Major League Soccer in the United States.&quot;We&#x27;re very much welcome for players who are from abroad who are Filipino to be part of our team. And we are more than happy to see and assess their abilities. I know in social media there&#x27;s been mention about the Markanich brothers and the Wolff brothers,&quot; Gutierrez said.However, the team official explained the process is not that easy to get them on board.&quot;Apparently, it&#x27;s not as simple as if you have a Filipino mom or a Filipino dad that you can already instantly get a Filipino passport. So there are certain rules that if you are, to my understanding, if you are born on a certain year by a parent, by a Filipino parent who&#x27;s no longer, who already renounces Filipino citizenship, then for you to get a Filipino passport, you will have to go through naturalization,&quot; Gutierrez explained.&quot;So that is what&#x27;s becoming a challenge for us. I think with the federation, it would be good for us to work with the embassies, the consul of various nations, to remind or to let them know that we are looking,&quot; he added.Gutierrez called on those interested to join the national team to reach out to the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) so they can discuss next steps.&quot;We&#x27;ve been getting a lot of interest from players from America, from Australia, even from Europe, who wants to take part and join the team. So we try to communicate with them as much as we can,&quot; he said.&quot;If Fil-foreigners are being able to read or see this, please, if you are interested, work on your passports. Work on your Filipino passports. It will be easier for both groups to be able to see if we are a good fit or to give you an opportunity to play for the country,&quot; Gutierrez added.The Philippines will next face Maldives on November 18, then Tajikistan on March 2026 in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

Don't expect major changes in the squad list of the Philippine Men's National Football Team for its upcoming match in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers next month.

Don't expect major changes in the squad list of the Philippine Men's National Football Team for its upcoming match in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers next month.

Football: PMNFT to keep core intact for next Asian Cup qualifiers match

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Football: PMNFT to keep core intact for next Asian Cup qualifiers match

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 16, 2025 10:35 PM PHT

Read More:

Football

Philippine Men's National Football Team

AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers

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