Azkals' star keeper Etheridge to miss Mongolia game

A new keeper will be manning the Philippine Azkals' goal when they play against Mongolia for the next leg of their pre-qualifying match in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup in Ulan Bator on March 15. With star goalkeeper Neil Etheridge set to miss the Azkals' second game against Mongolia, the coaching staff has brought in back-up keeper Edward Sacapaño as replacement. This was confirmed by the Azkals' coaching staff after Etheridge acknowledged that he has limited time to leave Fulham FC in the English Premier League should the Philippines make it to the group stages of the Challenge Cup. Sacapaño said he is ready for the challenge. "Coach Weiss has focused on my training as the team's keeper. I've been following all of his instructions," said the 31-year-old Philippine Army veteran. And Weiss is confident about their decision to bring in Sacapaño. "From the beginning, when I saw him here I was impressed with his performance," he said.

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV "He was already featured in several tune-up matches even before the Mongolia match. He did the job fantastically. And now with the game ahead, I have zero problems to bring him in," the coach added. The Azkals spent their final morning in Baguio where they trained for the last time, focusing on exercises to strengthen their back, neck and abdominal muscles. The Azkals will end their Baguio sojourn with one more tune-up game on Saturday before heading back to Manila. The team leaves for Fukushima, Japan on March 7 for their final acclimatization training before going to Ulan Bator, where the temperature can reach minus 10 degrees. – Jon Perez, KY, GMA News