Sports
PH hosts one of 5 Asian Challenge events
- Details
- Published on Friday, 14 December 2012 00:00
- Written by BONG PEDRALVEZ
By A Web design Company
TRUE to its word, the Asian Football Confederation has named the Philippines as one of the hosts of five group qualifying tournaments for the 2014 Asian Challenge Cup in March next year.
During the draw at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last Tuesday, the Philippine was bracketed in Group E with Turkmenistan, Cambodia and Brunei for the tournament set on March 2, 4 and 6, likely at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
Host Myanmar, Chinese-Taipei, India and Guam make up Group A; Kyrgyzstan (host), Tajikisan, Pakistan and Macau compose Group B; Laos (host), Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia make up Group C; and Nepal (host), Palestine, Bangladesh and Northern Marianas Island are in Group D.
Turkmenistan was the losing finalist to eventual champion North Korea in the AFC Challenge Cup last March in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Turkmenistan nipped the Filipinos 2-1 in the semifinals of the tournament, earning a crack at defending champion North Korea.
The Azkals, in their best finish yet in a major tournament abroad, bagged the bronze after beating Palestine 4-3 in the battle for third place.
The four group winners and the best two second-place teams will advance to the main tournament in 2014 in the resort country of Maldives, which beat the Philippines and India for the right to host the tournament.
The 2014 Asian Challenge Cup champion and North Korea will play in the 2015 Asian Cup, the continent’s biggest soccer tournament, in Australia.
