THE Philippine men’s football team sees itself in an unpredictable, yet manageable group in the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers starting this June.
The Azkals have been bracketed in Group H with Uzbekistan, Bahrain, North Korea, and Yemen after the draw held on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur.
Uzbekistan is the top-ranked country in the group at 73rd, followed by 108th-ranked Bahrain, the 139th-ranked Philippines, 157th-ranked Korea, and 170th-ranked Yemen.
The Filipino booters recently lost to Bahrain, 2-1, in a friendly in Manama.
The top teams from each of the eight groups, as well as the four best second-placers advance to the second round and are likewise seeded in the AFC Asian Cup.
“The time for speculation is over, hard work begins,” team manager Dan Palami tweeted.
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