AFC Challenge Cup: Azkals face uphill battle, but remain optimistic

In the midst of the controversy on an alleged sexual harassment accusation, there is actually still a tournament to be played and it may well be the biggest in Philippine football history. The Azkals, the Philippine national football team flew to Nepal a week ahead of the tournament to acclimatize themselves to the cold weather and high altitude. Fresh from a 1-1 draw with Malaysia, the team looks more organized and coach Michael Weiss has commented on the greater depth of the squad with impressive performances from Jason Sabio and Luis Guirado at the heart of defense, among other positives. Group of death The Philippines, still at 156th in the latest FIFA world rankings, still have to compete against all three past winners of the competition in India (158), Tajikistan (145) and North Korea (111). India was ranked higher than the Philippines last month but fell due to a 5-1 loss to Oman (92) and a 3-0 loss to Azerbaijan (116) in February. They also won the South Asian Cup last December and beat Malaysia 3-2 the month before that. Tajikistan recently played North Korea and drew 1-1 on the same day the Philippines drew with Malaysia by the same scoreline, but that was Tajikistan's only point in their World Cup Qualifying group. North Korea, the defending champions and favored to repeat, also recently drew 1-1 with Kuwait who knocked the Philippines out of World Cup Qualification. What this all means for the Philippines is that they are the lowest seed in the group and will be facing some very tough opposition. The team has a lot of heart and spirit, though, and will need to showcase all of it to pull off an upset. Returning players With Denis Wolf confirmed he will be missing the tournament due to passport issues, Chieffy Caligdong's return, and Neil Etheridge and Paul Mulders confirmed to join the squad are a boost for the team. Etheridge arrived Thursday, while Stephan Schrock is also likely to play some part in the tournament, but how many games depends on the discussion with his German club Greuther Fürth. Jerry Lucena and Denis Cagara's involvement also depends on club commitments. With a strong performance against Malaysia, Etheridge as the Philippine keeper will be a big boost and his experience and training with English Premier League side Fulham will be invaluable. Chances The Philippines are facing odds similar to the famous Suzuki Cup run of 2010 in facing three former champions of the competition. Given the recent sexual harassment case, though, training has been somewhat disrupted and Coach Michael Weiss, direct as ever, told GoalNepal.com that "I have to tell you frankly that our preparation was not good." He remained optimistic regarding the team's chances though and remarked that "We arrived here early to acclimatize with the weather condition of Kathmandu and it was a good decision… But we are here to play the championship and we will do well". As the games will be played in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, at an altitude of between 2,100 and 3,300 meters and an average humidity of 75 percent, acclimatizing is vital to the Philippines' chances of progressing from the group stage. The tournament will be a great experience for the Philippines who were the only side to go through both rounds of qualification and make the finals. While most football analysts aren't expecting the Azkals to win many points in the group the team has always fought hard and has picked up at least four points in every group stage of four teams they've played since the 2010 Long Teng Cup. Good performances against the three former champions would be successful progress for the Philippines, who has an outside shot of qualifying from the group if they play the way they did in previous tournaments. The Philippines open their campaign against 2010 World Cup Qualifiers North Korea on March 9 before facing India on March 11 and Tajikistan on March 13. — JVP, GMA News