Stephan Schrock to play final game for Azkals as eliminated Philippines takes on Indonesia in AFF Cup

Stephan Schrock will play his last game as a member of the Philippine national men's football team as the already eliminated Azkals will take on Indonesia to wrap their campaign in the 2022 AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup.

Schrock, the captain of the Azkals, made the announcement in a pre-match press conference on Sunday.

"As you know in football, nothing is for sure but 99% this will be my last game for the nation," the 35-year-old Schrock said.

"I sacrificed a lot and there comes a time when you want to have it in your own hands, kind of like given I was not selected in the AFC Qualifiers, I think it's a good time to step down," he added.

Schrock first played for the national team in June 2011 in a World Cup qualifier against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

The Azkals captain also posted on his Instagram stories a video of his final training for the national team. 

Wrapping the AFF Cup

The Azkals will play Indonesia on Monday to wrap its campaign in the AFF Cup.

The national team was eliminated after the match between Indonesia and Thailand ended in a 1-1 draw.

With this, both teams now have 7 points, while the Philippines, prior to their upcoming match, only has 3 points. Only the top two teams of Group A, which is composed of the three countries plus Cambodia and Brunei, will advance to the knockout semifinals.

Despite this, Azkals head coach Josep Ferre said it is still an important game.

“Of course, it’s sad for us to arrive just until here but it is always an important game when you play for the national team,” Ferre said. 

“We have a good team in front of us (Indonesia), and this is a good moment for us to rededicate ourselves, to prove that we are able to reach one more level."

In the tournament, the Azkals fell to Cambodia, 3-2, before winning at home against Brunei, 5-1. The Philippines also lost to Thailand, 4-0.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News