MANILA, Philippines — Stand up, wear white and be counted as a Philippine Azkals fan.
To gather strong support for the Azkals who will be battling the Mongolians in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifying match on Feb. 9, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is enjoining the fans to wear white shirts.
PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said white will be the theme since the Azkals, beefed up by Fil-foreigners, will be donning white uniforms in the first of the home-and-away duel set at the 15,500-seater Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City.
Araneta, also the Iloilo Football Association head, said the unity in colors will play a great factor in the match just like when
Brazilian fans wear yellow or Japanese fans wear blue in World Cup matches.
“Seeing a sea of fans in white will certainly fire up our players,” said Araneta, a former national player from University of the Philippines Iloilo.
Following the Azkals’ amazing semifinal finish in the AFF Suzuki Cup last Dec., the popularity of the sport and the team zoomed to unprecedented heights, making next week’s match a sure-fire blockbuster.
“It (the match) could be our biggest crowd in the history of Philippine football,” said Araneta, adding that the tickets, 10,000 of which are free of charge, will be available for distribution today.
Meanwhile, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia said preparations are on track for the match, saying locker rooms and shower stalls have already been repaired, and the field is ready and currently being used for training.
At presstime, around 1,200 lights are being transferred from the Paglaum Stadium to Panaad Stadium to make the venue fit for international standards.
People in Bacolod are also in festive mood for the upcoming match, with students swarming the Azkals even inside the hotels after practice, Azkals asst. coach Edzel Bracamonte said.
The Mongolians are set to arrive on Monday. —With a report from Kristel Satumbaga
source: Manila Bulletin
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