PHILIPPINE men’s football team goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has allayed fears the Azkals are “losing focus” on the eve of the country’s most important tournament in recent memory.
Fans have been expressing worries over social media that some Azkals are giving much more attention to other events including the Clear Dream Match than the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup in Maldives, where they kick off their campaign against Afghanistan on Tuesday.
Brothers Phil and James Younghusband and several others in the 24-man Challenge Cup roster are part of the all-star charity match scheduled next month.
And it’s Etheridge, Fulham’s third-choice ‘keeper who’s not even part of the Clear event, who has reassured fans that the Azkals haven’t lost sight of their goal which is to qualify for the prestigious Asian Cup next year.
“Don’t think we are losing focus,” Etheridge tweeted on Monday. “The team has never been so prepared, spirit is high and morale in the camp is on a top level.”
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