Dooley's Return to the Azkals welcomes a stalemate against Yemen

Photo Credits: Mongolian Football Association

In his first match back as the gaffer of the Philippine Men's National Football Team, The Azkals secure a point after a scoreless tie against Yemen who bravely fought until the final whistle amidst the continuous threat from the Philippines.

With a chance to return to the AFC Asian Cup waiting for them, the Philippines, backed by Thomas Dooley who led them to their maiden appearance in the said tournament, went out with a rejuvenated look despite boasting a very familiar squad.

Throughout the match, the Philippines banked on their quick passing and organized attack but saw themselves fire blanks in the process. They bossed the field with 63% in possession and also about 82% passing accuracy.

However, the missing ingredient for their supposed masterclass over Yemen was the goal. In the 21st minute, the Azkals had the opportunity to break the deadlock after a lovely sequence of one-two passes found Oliver Bias inside the box but the Fil-German's strike was met decently by Ammar Al-Baidhani.

A scare in the 37th minute as the defense misjudged its pass forcing Neil Etheridge to commit and prevent a goal from going through his legs. The first half ended with the Azkals dominating the midfield battle.

The second half was no different from how the Azkals performed in the first 45 minutes as they continued their patient approach to the match. In the 58th minute, Kenshiro Daniels rose for the corner but his header was met by the palms of Al-Baidhani.

The Yemenis, on the other hand, despite having a more frantic approach, forced the Azkals to defend in the dying minutes of the match. In the 87th minute, the Philippines needed to hold the fort against a barrage of attacks from Yemen.

In the end, it was a stalemate to welcome the former Azkals head coach who will have a lot on his plate in order to replicate his efforts back in 2018 which sealed the country's passage to its maiden appearance in the AFC Asian Cup.

The Philippines will have to win their remaining matches against Mongolia and Palestine respectively in order to top the group and progress to the AFC Asian Cup final stages without having to wait for the results of the other groups.