THE Philippines is eyeing at least a draw against powerhouse Iraq when play resumes in Group F of the second round of the AFC joint World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers today at the Basra International Stadium in Iraq.
Running third in the group with three points on a win and a draw, the Filipino booters will try to buck the odds in their first game under new Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet when they face the former Asian Cup champs at 10 p.m. (3 a.m. Friday in Manila).
Handled by Spanish mentor Jesus Casas, the Iraqis are out to pick up their third straight win to maintain their grip of top spot in front of their hometown fans at the 65,000-capacity stadium.
Saintfiet acknowledged that beating the Indomitable Lions at home would be a pretty tall order, saying: “I think this will be, for sure, the most difficult match. Iraq are a powerhouse in Asian football. I think they will go to the World Cup.
“So if you could play to a draw in Iraq, that would be fantastic. After that, we will see what we can do here. Let’s go for a good 0-0 and I will be very happy with that,” the Belgian mentor said in an interview on the AFC website.
The website reported that Iraq will be without ace forward Ali Al Hamadi, who plays in the English Championship (English League Division 1), although Aymen Hussein, the leading scorer in the Iraq Stars League with 17 goals, will see action.
The Philippine side will a be a blend of the old and new, with veteran goalkeeper Neil Etheridge leading the way while siblings Matthew and Michael Baldisimo, who play for separate sides in the US Major League Soccer, will make their team debut.
“We have a well-balanced group,” said Saintfiet in an interview before they left for Iraq.
“We have a good team to face Iraq, but we need to play professional and try to steal some points. We have a balanced team to face a strong opponent.”
Win or lose, the Filipino footballers will have a rematch with the Iraqis on March 26 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.