Azkals name Etheridge, Holtmann in September friendlies pool

Neil Etheridge and Gerrit Holtmann bannered the 24-player pool of the Philippine Azkals who were called up for their upcoming friendly matches against Chinese Taipei and Afghanistan in September.

Aside from Etheridge, who has been with Birmingham City FC since 2020, and Holtmann, who made his debut for the Philippines in 2022, among those who were included in the pool released by the Philippine Football Federation on Wednesday were Patrick Deyto, Sandro Reyes, Santi Rublico, and Jens Rasmussen.

Bienve Marañon, who was naturalized in 2021, was also named in the squad.  

The full list included the following names:

• ETHERIDGE, Neil Leonard – Birmingham City FC (England)
• DEYTO, Patrick Phillip – Chonburi FC (Thailand)
• HANSEN, Kevin Ray – Kuala Lumpur City FC (Malaysia)
• CURRAN, Jesse Thomas – Ratchaburi FC (Thailand)
• SATO, Daisuke – Persib Bandung (Indonesia)
• KEMPTER, Michael – Grasshopper Club Zurich (Switzerland)
• STRAUSS, John Patrick – FC Hansa Rostock (Germany)
• INGRESO, Kevin – Sri Pahang FC (Malaysia)
• DE BRUYCKER, Dylan Alain Lucienne – Bhayangkara FC (Indonesia)
• HOLTMANN, Gerrit Stephan – Antalyaspor (Turkey)
• RUBLICO, Santiago – Atletico de Madrid (Spain)
• RONTINI, Christian – Persita Tanjerang (Indonesia)
• PORTERIA, Jose Elmer – Kelantan United (Malaysia)
• OTT, Manuel – Kedah Darul Aman (Malaysia)
• OTT, Mike Rigoberto – PS Barito Putera (Indonesia)
• REYES, Sandro Miguel – SpVgg Greuther Furth II (Germany)
• AGUINALDO, Amani – Trat FC (Thailand)
• REICHELT, Patrick – Kuala Lumpur City FC (Malaysia)
• MARAÑON, Bienvenido – Chanthaburi FC (Thailand)
• RASMUSSEN, Jens Sebastian – Hobro IK (Denmark)
• MARTINEZ DE MURGA, Carlos Alberto – PS Barito Putera (Indonesia)
• GROMMEN, Joshua Jake – Khon Kaen United (Thailand)
• LINARES, Enrique – PSM Makasaar (Indonesia)
• KEKKONEN, Oskari – Lamphun Warriors FC (Thailand)

The national men's football team will see action first against Chinese Taipei on September 8 at the National Stadium in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei, before they return home and play Afghanistan on September 12 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Back in June, the Azkals faced Chinese Taipei and lost, 3-2. 

Prior to that, in the same June window of the friendlies, the Philippine squad won against Nepal, 1-0.

The upcoming September friendlies will be Michael Weiss' second FIFA friendly window since returning to the national team since June.

The friendlies will serve as part of the team’s preparation for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers where the country is grouped with Iraq, Vietnam, and the winner of the Indonesia vs. Brunei Darussalam qualifiers in the group stage of the said tournament.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News