The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) forgoes its “Azkal” distinction, reverting to the original “Philippine Men’s National Football Team” moniker. This announcement was met with a change in leadership, with Belgian manager Tom Saintfiet to lead the reins heading into the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Iraq this March 2024.
Gambian National Team’s former Head Coach appeared before the media in a press conference last Monday, February 26, 2024, alongside the program’s newly appointed PFF Director and Manager Freddy Gonzalez, and PFF President John Gutierrez.
According to Gonzales, the reasoning behind the adjustment had nothing to do with reform in management or allegations regarding ownership rights to the name but merely a turning of a new leaf for the team—leaving the “Azkal” chapter behind.
“We feel that while the Azkals name was great, it has served its purpose…We feel like we’re going into the next step of Philippine football. So that’s something that we’re not really thinking about but will eventually come to play at some point, whether by us or by the fans,” the former national team footballer addressed the media.
PFF also looked to negate the previous perception of “Azkals,” given its aso kalye (street dog) and half-breed definition, considering its history and the assumption of prioritizing mixed-race Filipinos instead of those who are “pure-bred.”
“Therefore, the Azkals name has no relevancy anymore in the team. We’re all Filipinos. There’s no more half-half,” Gonzales added.
