MANILA — Ilonggo Jaime Rosquillo will banner the national U-23 men’s football team as they face Timor-Leste in the Asian Football Federation U23 Championship tonight at Morodok Techno National Stadium, Phom Penh, Cambodia.
The Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo native was one of the players chosen for the U-23 Azkals, which is aiming to bounce back from a dismal AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification campaign last year.
Rosquillo, a standout from Dynamic Herb FC-Cebu, is no stranger to the national men’s football team call up. He played for the U-16 Azkals in the 2018 AFF tourney and U-19 in the AFF U-19 squad.
Locally, Rosquillo also played a huge role for Western Visayas’ secondary football team that captured the gold medal in the 2019 Palarong Pambansa in Davao City.
Also in the national U-23 team are Oliver Bias, Oskari Kekkonen, Sandro Reyes, Dennis Chung, Quincy Kammeraad, Gyles Encabo, Jayvee Kallukaran, Jacob Liao, Pete Andrei Forrosuelo, David Setters, and Scott Woods.
Other members of the Philippine team were Pocholo Bugas, Jacob Maniti, Griffin McDaniel, Lance Ocampo, Antoine Ortega, Jacob Pena, Nathan Rilloraza Andres Aldeguer, Ivan Ouano, Miguel Mendoza, Mariano Suba Jr, Kieran Hayes, Enrico Mangaoang, and Jessie Semblante.
Stewart Hall has been tapped to handle to coaching chores for the team with Ernie Nierras, JP Merida Noel Marcaida and Norman Fegidero serving as his assistant coaches.
Prior to flying to Phnom Penh last week, the national U-23 team had its training camp enforced in a bio-secured bubble at the PFF National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.
After the Timor-Leste match tonight, the Philippine U-23 Azkals will next face host Cambodia on February 17 before wrapping up the Pool A games against Brunei on the 20th.
It is important for the Azkals to win as many games as possible in the Pool A as only the top two teams will advance to the knockout stage of the competition./PN
