A perfect analogy on what transpired is like this: a man suddenly left his girlfriend for another girl. And instead of the boyfriend telling his former significant other that he was moving on, it was his new girlfriend who confirmed to his ex that they are now together, or something to that effect. The ex just said okay upon receiving the news.
For context, we woke up yesterday morning with the shocking news of Tom Saintfiet leaving the Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT). The Malian Football Federation (MAF) and the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) made the initial announcements that the Belgian will be moving to Mali to lead the Eagles in their bid in the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Mozambique and Eswatini next week.
Saintfiet’s sudden departure, with immediate effect, was later confirmed by a press release from the Philippine Football Federation.
“From my first meeting with Tom, this is something we had discussed – that if a bigger opportunity came to him, I wouldn’t stand in his way. Tom came into the Philippine job with every intention of helping with our project, but his heart has always been in Africa. We thank him for his service and wish him well in his new role,” Freddy Gonzalez, Director of Senior National Teams, said in the statement.
Gonzalez added: “With the Merdeka Cup around the corner, and preparations for the Mitsubishi Electric Cup ramping up, we need to move quickly from this. We are already looking at candidates to take on the Head Coach role. I’m confident in finding a man that will be committed to our vision.”
Just the same, there are so many questions regarding Saintfiet’s sudden departure. But I will only ask a few in the meantime.
First, how come that we only learned about Saintfiet’s decision to leave the national team after the MAF and CAF made the announcements? How come the PFF only released a statement after the news broke out first in Africa? Was Saintfiet’s move really surprising that the PFF was beaten to the draw by the MAF and CAF? Is Mali’s offer really that big?
Or is it about something else beyond monetary considerations?
One thing is sure though: Nauna pa ang announcement ng lilipatan kesa sa inalisan.
Which again, raises several concerns on its own. What now, PFF?!
A source told The Designated Kit Man that he knew something about Saintfiet’s departure as early as several days ago, which is probably true. Common sense dictates that Saintfiet moving back to Africa should not be surprising as far as his erstwhile employer is concerned, at least.
Common sense and experience have shown that before you accept a job, you need to apply for it first. When applying, it takes several days, at least when lesser mortals like us aspire to get employed, to get the job. I believe this is also the case with Saintfiet as shared by a source. The source claims that Saintfiet applied for the job.
The next question is: Hindi ba nakaramdam ang PFF? Or are they just too naive to know the real score when it comes to Saintfiet? We have an expression on this: natutulog sa pansitan.
Which begs us the next concern, how will Saintfiet’s surprising exit impact our men’s national team in its preparation for the Mitsubishi Electric Cup this November? But let’s not go that far ahead, at least for now, because the more pressing concern is the Philippines will start its campaign in the Merdeka Cup on September 4 against host Malaysia. In another announcement, the PFF has appointed Norman Fegidero as interim coach for the Merdeka Cup. He will be supported by the Filipinas’ coaching staff.
While the PFF has so much on its plate right now, let’s talk more about something positive. The Philippine Azkals are back, technically in a different light, as they will compete in the forthcoming Asia 7’s Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from October 9-12, 2024.
The 7 a side team will be bannered by former Azkals team captains and local football icons Stephan Schrock and Misagh Bahadoran. Hamed Hajimehdi will be the coach while Patrick Ace Bright is the team manager.
Former Azkas and now Commissioner of Asia 7’s Championships Anton Del Rosario believes the Philippines can assemble and send a strong team to Kuala Lumpur because aside from Schrock and Bahadoran, there are many good and quality players that can join the two in the squad.
“I know that we are going to be able to compete and I believe that we will be one of the top countries in the tournament,” he said. He is also positive that a good showing in Malaysia will help spur more awareness and support for 7 a side football in the country.
For Schrock and Bahadoran, the chance to play once again for the flag and country is too great to pass on. Both also believe that it is only fitting that the Azkals moniker is also back. Schrock and Bahadoran also want that every football fan will still remember the Azkals’ legacy and also the players who sacrificed a lot for the team.
“The Azkals mean a lot to me. It is not just a name. It’s a way of life that I always strive to live for. It is a great opportunity to play once more for the country. It never gets old,” Schrock said.
When asked if he can still compete, Bahadoran gave a short answer.
“You will never know until you give me the ball,” he said.
The team will have an open tryouts on September 8, 4 p.m. at the McKinley Hills Stadium. All interested players are encouraged to show up.
Here is hoping that the team will do well in Malaysia, with the way things are going lately in local football, a victory in the Asia 7’s will go a long way in ending our losing streak in international competitions.
Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!
For comments or questions, you can reach The Designated Kit Man at erel_cabatbat@yahoo.com or follow his account at Twitter: @erelcabatbat
