[ad_1]
The Philippine Soccer Federation and coach Scott Cooper have agreed on the terms of a contract extension, as their goal is to lead the Azkals to at least the 2023 AFC Asian Cup before making a strong push for a historic appearance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The contract extension is reported to be until the end of the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
Cooper has been with the team for the past two years, but it wasn’t until the joint playoffs for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup that he took over as full-time head coach.
PFF President Mariano “Nonong” Araneta expressed satisfaction with Cooper’s performance so far in the playoffs, where the Azkals are third in Group A behind Syria and China.
“I think the team has improved under his command and we hope he will take the team to another level,” said Araneta.
The Azkals are still competing for the 2022 World Cup, but the next edition four years later may be a more realistic goal for the team, according to Azkals manager Dan Palami.
“We are confident that Coach Scott can take the team to where we want it to be,” Palami said.
“It is unfortunate that the COVID-19 pandemic stopped our momentum, but we have set what we believe to be our realistic goals for the team going forward.”
Even with the pandemic that led to the postponement of the World Cup and AFF Suzuki Cup playoffs, Cooper has kept busy hitting base with players and sharing the Azkals’ philosophy of the game.
He also expanded his talent pool by identifying several homegrown young stars who have the ability to move up to the senior team.
Both Palami and Cooper formed the Azkals Development Team to give promising young talent the opportunity to flourish.
Players on the team include Jarvey Gayoso, Mar Diano and Lance Ocampo, all of whom are being considered by Cooper for the senior team.
The Azkals delivered significant results last year, holding the Chinese to a goalless draw at Bacolod last October and battling Syria before losing 0-1 in their clash in Dubai late last year.
“When I first came here, I saw the enormous potential of the Azkals,” said Cooper, who built a solid reputation in Thailand, where he has led teams to amazing improvements.
“During this pandemic, we have been setting goals and putting plans in place to achieve those goals. I can honestly say that we can still improve and I am committed to leading this team as it continues to make its mark in Asia and the world of American football.”
ESPN5’s Paolo Del Rosario contributed to this report.
