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7 players to miss Azkals matches in Mongolia

Sports

7 players to miss Azkals matches in Mongolia

By Jonas Terrado

The Philippine Azkals will be without seven players for their campaign in the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers which starts next week in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Coach Thomas Dooley revealed that Raphael Obermaier, Patrick Strauss, Michael Kempter, Carli de Murga, Kevin Ingresso, Amani Aguinaldo and Diego Bardanca have been ruled out of the Qualifiers, leaving the Azkals with big holes to fill.

Some of the players mentioned either play as backs or defensive midfielders.

“What a bummer!!! It has never happened before,” Dooley said in a Facebook post announcing their absence. “(But g)iving up is NEVER an option.”

The development came a few days after the situation in which Dooley decided not to include veteran Stephan Schrock in the ongoing preparations for the continental qualifiers.

Schrock was part of the initial 30-man squad for the training camp.

Part of that list is Gerrit Holtmann, who Dooley said will be available for the last two games of the competition in Mongolia.

The Azkals open the campaign on June 8 against Yemen before facing host Mongolia and Palestine on June 11 and 14.

Topping Group B or emerge as one of the five best second placers in the final phase of the qualifiers will send the Azkals to the Asian Cup for the second straight time.

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