Latest news with #AFCAsianCupQualifiers
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
Albert Capellas parts ways with PMNFT, Carles Caudrat takes over
Philippine Men's National Football Team head coach Albert Capellas has parted ways with the squad and will be replaced by recently appointed assistant coach Carles Caudrat. The Philippine Football Federation announced the development late Saturday, just less than two weeks before the Philippines' match against Tajikistain in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on June 10. "My wonderful journey as head coach of the Philippine National Football Federation has come to an end and I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have been part of it, especially the players and all the staff involved, the Director of National Teams Freddy Gonzalez, and the President John Gutierrez," Capellas, who was appointed as head coach in September 2024, said in a statement. 'Together, we have enjoyed an inspiring journey and have proven that Filipino football has a promising generation of young players with the potential to bring great pride and success to the country. I am sincerely grateful for the time we have shared and for the support and kindness I've received from the entire Filipino football community. I will always carry these memories with me and wish the Federation and the team continued growth and success in the years to come. With gratitude, Albert Capellas.' According to Gonzalez, Capellas stepped down due to personal reasons. 'Personal reasons have led to Albert's departure. Out of great respect for him, we will not elaborate. We are grateful for his service, and wish him well. I continue to consider him a friend,' Gonzalez said. 'As with all things in life, change happens and one must always be prepared to handle unexpected turns. We move on, and keep pushing forward. Albert left us with a blueprint to follow and we thank him for bringing Carles on board, enabling him to be the interim head coach and provide continuity for what Albert has started. Now is the time to focus on the match with Tajikistan and push to be top of the group and focus on qualifying for the Asian Cup.' With Capellas at the helm, the Philippine men's team reached the semis of the ASEAN Championships last December, which along the way included a historic win against Thailand in five decades. Cuadrat, meanwhile, has worked with the national teams of Saudi Arabia and El Salvador, and top European clubs Barcelona Youth, Galatasaray and Midtjylland. Recently, he steered East Bengal FC to their first trophy in over a decade. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
4 days ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
PMNFT releases 24-man lineup for AFC Asian Cup qualifiers vs Tajikistan
The Philippine Men's National Football Team released its 24-man lineup for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers match against Tajikistan on June 10. Majority of those who played against Maldives in the previous window will make their return to the squad such as Jeff Tabinas, Bjorn Kristensen, Randy Schneider, and Sandro Reyes, who all made goals during the said match. They will be joined by veterans Kevin Mendoza, Manny Ott, Amani Aguinaldo, and Jarvey Gayoso, along with Paul Tabinas, Zico Bailey, Santi Rublico, and Josef Baccay. Gerrit Holtmann is also expected to return to the squad, while Andrei Leipod could make his debut for the team. The full list includes: Just like the Philippines, Tajikistan also has one win in the third round of the qualifiers. Only the top team of Group A, which also has Timor-Leste, will advance to the Asian Cup. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
United News of India
20-05-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
India begin chiselling finer margins in Kolkata
Kolkata, May 20 (UNI) The Indian senior men's team kicked off their preparations for the June FIFA International Window with a first training session here. India will face Thailand in a friendly in Pathum Thani on June 4 before the all-important AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifier against Hong Kong in Kowloon City on June 10. Out of the 28 probables called up by head coach Manolo Marquez, 26 trained on the first day. Defender Rahul Bheke, who became a father recently, will join on May 23. Midfielder Ashique Kuruniyan is suffering from illness and will begin training with the Blue Tigers on May 21. India will travel to Thailand on May 28. "We need to improve a lot because I felt that the team was going forward in every FIFA window except the last," Marquez said. While the March window did bring a 3-0 friendly win against Maldives, the Spaniard's first win as the Indian coach, a lacklustre 0-0 draw versus Bangladesh wasn't the ideal start to the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign. "It's true that for the game against Bangladesh, we lost very important starting players. But it's not an excuse for our poor performance in that game. We need to be aware that we have a difficult game in Hong Kong. We have time to prepare, to be competitive and try to win and get the three points," Marquez said. Singapore and Hong Kong also played out a 0-0 draw in Group C, so there's nothing to separate the four sides after the opening matchday. On June 10, Hong Kong will host India, and Singapore will travel to Dhaka to face Bangladesh. Only the group winners will qualify for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027. "I had a conversation with Javi Cabrera, the Bangladesh coach, before the game, and he told me that in this group, you can't tell who will finish first and who will end up last. Every team can beat the other. After the results on the first day, I told him he was right. Now, four teams are on one point each. Everything is the same. It's like starting again with five games left, not six," said Márquez. India, a Pot 1 side, being the highest-ranked team in the group, are theoretically looking ahead to the toughest match of the campaign – an away tie against Hong Kong, the Pot 2 side in the group. But Marquez believes that the group is too close to call and might be decided by fine margins. "I feel that all the games are very difficult. I watched Singapore versus Hong Kong. Singapore played much better in the first half, and Hong Kong were better in the second. It was a very equal game like India-Bangladesh," Marquez said. But first and foremost is the friendly game against Thailand, who are also a Pot 1 side, and using this match to prepare for their qualifier against Turkmenistan in Group D. Ranked 99th in the world, 28 places above India, Thailand would be a good test for the Blue Tigers, according to Marquez, despite the Changsuek having won only 1-0 against 200-ranked Sri Lanka in March. "I see Thailand as a good preparation for the Hong Kong game because they are a Pot 1 team. I watched their game against Sri Lanka, and they won only 1-0. I feel Sri Lanka didn't deserve to lose that game," he said. There are a few fresh faces in the Indian camp who have earned their first national team call-up after an impressive performances for their clubs in the Indian Super League and the recently-concluded Kalinga Super Cup. Mohun Bagan SG forward Suhail Ahmad Bhat, FC Goa goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari and Punjab FC midfielder Nikhil Prabhu will hope to make a mark in the camp and make their India debuts. "Suhail is a player with very good movements in attack. We saw in the Super Cup that he's a player who can finish off actions well because his movements in the box are very good," said Marquez. "I know Hrithik perfectly. In my opinion, he will be a top goalkeeper in India. Nikhil Prabhu is a player who is growing a lot. He was a centre-back but played great as a defensive midfielder as well. He's a complete player who is very good with the ball. He has improved a lot in aerial duels and is another player with a good future," the coach added. UNI BM
Express Tribune
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Constantine set to coach Pak again
The Pakistan Football Federation has decided to reappoint Stephen Constantine as the head coach of the national team for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. While an official announcement is yet to be made, the decision comes as Pakistan gears up for the third round of the qualifiers, marking a crucial phase in the country's footballing journey. However, according to reports, Constantine has been asked for coaching role only for the AFC Asian Cup qualifier match against Syria. A decision for long term appointment will be made at a later stage. "He is coming only for this qualifier (vs Syria). We don't have enough time for any change so we asked Stephen to come back for this match," a PFF official said. Constantine previously managed the Pakistan team from 2023 to 2024. During his first stint with Pakistan team, the Shaheens managed to win the FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Cambodia and for the first time ever in history, qualified for the second round of qualifiers – though couldn't' proceed beyond that, but team showed remarkable improvement during his tenure. Stephen Constantine is a familiar name in Asian football, having managed several national teams across the continent, including India and Nepal. He is best known for his two successful tenures with the Indian national team, where he significantly improved India's FIFA ranking and developed young talent. The PFF, according to sources, has also confirmed Pakistan's participation in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, a major step forward following the lifting of FIFA's suspension, Pakistan's first match in the qualifiers is scheduled for March 25, 2024, against Syria. The match, Syria's home game, will be held in Saudi Arabia. According to sources, Constantine is set to take charge of the team for this crucial fixture. Earlier, The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) lifted the ban on the PFF after the local body made desired constitutional amendments. As per details, the top football governing body revoked the suspension after the PFF approved its proposed constitutional amendments in an Extraordinary Congress last week. Member of the PFF Normalisation Committee (NC) Shahid Khokhar confirming the development thanked FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for their constant support towards Pakistan.
