With just one day of training and the departure of their head coach, the Philippine men’s national football team faces significant hurdles as they prepare for the 2024 Merdeka Cup.
Despite these challenges, interim head coach Norman Fegidero Jr. remains optimistic about the team’s chances in the tournament, which kicks off with a match against host nation Malaysia on Wednesday at Bukit Jalil Stadium.
The team’s preparation was disrupted by the sudden exit of head coach Tom Saintfiet, who left the squad to take up a position with the Malian national club.
Compounding the situation, several key players withdrew from the team at the last minute. These developments have placed Fegidero in a challenging position, but he remains undeterred.
“Our first training is today. My job is how to make this team competitive,” Fegidero said in a statement. “It’s a unique situation, but I believe in them. We’ll give them a good fight. We want to win. We’re all on the same page. We want to win, for our fans of course.”
Despite the limited preparation time, Fegidero emphasized the importance of the players’ familiarity with one another, which he believes will be an asset on the field.
“All of the players are excited to play here in this Merdeka Cup. We’ve been together for a long time, so the players are familiar with one another. I think we can play a very good game,” he said.
The team’s optimism was echoed by Jarvey Gayoso, one of the squad’s key players, who downplayed concerns about the lack of training.
“Most of the guys here, we’ve already met and we’ve played with one another. So right now, we’re just preparing ourselves mentally for the game tomorrow,” Gayoso stated.
A victory over Malaysia would advance the Philippines to face the winner of the Lebanon-Tajikistan match on Sunday.
A loss, however, would see the team competing in the bronze medal match.
Despite the uphill battle, Fegidero and his players are determined to give their best for the fans and prove their resilience on the international stage.
