DESPITE a broken nose suffered in the team’s last match, defender Michael Kempter will be back in harness and possibly midfielder Manny Ott as well when the Azkals tackle Guam today in the resumption of their Group A World Cup and Asian Cup second round qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates.
Still reeling from a 0-2 setback to China last Monday, the Azkals try to vent their ire against the winless Guamanians as they try to tighten their grip on third place in the group stage at 6 p.m. (10 p.m. Manila time) at the 18,000-seat Sharjah Stadium.
The other Group A match pits second-running China against the Maldives at 9 p.m. (1 p.m. Saturday), with the top squads advancing to the next round of both the WC and Asian qualifiers while the third placer remains in the hunt for a spot in the 2023 Asian Cup in China.
“Kempter’s nose may be broken but his performance won’t be so we expect him to play in the next game,” said national team manager Dan Palami of the Fil-Swiss defender, who broke his nose after colliding with a Chinese player in the first half.
Palami announced the availability of the player during an online press conference Wednesday afternoon organized by the Philippine Football Federation to announce the national team’s new outfitter, Kelme, a 60-year Spanish apparel and footwear company.
The Azkals are currently third in the group with seven points, sporting a record of two wins, three losses and one draw.
Syria leads with an unblemished 7-0 win-loss slate, good for 21 points, while China is running second with 13 points on four wins, one draw and one setback.
English head coach Scott Cooper was more cautious about Kempter’s status, saying: “It was a shame what happened to him. Hopefully he will be back and take it from there.”
Cooper said that he is also hoping that Ott, who currently plays with Malaysian club Melaka in the Malaysia Super League, would be fit to play since he is still recovering from injury.
