Azkals faces Turkmenistan on AFC Challenge Cup Semis

The Philippine Azkals will face AFC Challenge Cup 2010 runner-up Turkmenistan this Friday at the Dasrath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal. The two teams will square off to determine which team will earn a ticket to the Challenge Cup finals.

The Azkals appear to be the stronger team as they enjoy a higher FIFA ranking than Turkmenistan. The Philippines is No. 156 while Turkmenistan is ranked 166th in the FIFA rankings.

However, the Azkals will have to play the semifinal match without two key players. Angel Guirado and James Younghusband each got their second yellow card in their match against Tajikistan.

Team coach Michael Weiss is expected to make adjustments to fill in the void left by the two key players.

"Suspensions happen in football. We don't cry or lament about what happened as I have a squad of players that always want to play,” the German football coach said on the AFC website.

“This means we are bringing in fresh legs and players who are looking forward to playing their first match in the tournament," Weiss added.