Manila, Philippines - Malaysia manages to salvage a goal in the dying minutes of their FIFA international friendly game vs The Philippines.
The Azkals team that is preparing for their AFC Challenge Cup clash in Nepal this month is coming off a remarkable training camp in the Middle East.
A team struggling to come and play together almost every game due to their commitments abroad has proven that they have developed flexibility and had harnessed their international experience to give life to Philippine football in just every game day.
Malaysia, the AFF Suzuki 2010 Champions and ASEAN Powerhouse was left trying to carry reputations of their titles in this "Friendly" in name match.
The Philippines scored first blood when Filipino German Denis Wolf headed in a magnificent throw from Jason Sabio.
Neil Etheridge, the Filipino-British goal keeper for the Philippines had crucial saves enabling a confidence booster for a Filipino organized attack up front. Angel Guirado almost doubled the lead but was unlucky hitting the crossbar.
The Tigers known to be dangerous on counter attacks was forced into a defensive mode in the 1st half.
Rizal Stadium, the same venue where the Philippine XI back in '91 defeated the Malaysians was an event awaiting rebirth until a rare defensive slip caused a goal that silenced the crowd of 7,000 In the 90th minute where the match later ended in a draw.
A glimpse on what to expect in this year's AFF Suzuki Cup has been spelled out. Malaysian coach Rajagopal praised the talents of the Filipino players and is more than excited to seeing the country rise up in football.
This game is part of the Azkals Training for the AFC Challenge Cup for developing football nations, where our country is ranked the lowest.
They will face North Korea on March 9, India on March 11 and Tjikistan on the 13th.
Sir Dan Palami said that reaching the semi-finals of the Cup is already a dream come true and is also hoping to get a full squad of Azkals fighting for the Philippines.