By Jerome S. Galunan, Jr.

The Philippine national football team, the Azkals, are scheduled to play a friendly match against Fiji on March 22, at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila.

The match will serve as a tune-up match amid the ongoing 2019 AFC Asian Cup third qualification round, where the Azkals are next scheduled to meet Tajikistan next week, March 27.

“We are currently on top of the table of Group F with nine points,” explained Azkals Team Manager Dan Palami. “[Whether] we win or we draw, we will move forward and the country will be part of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time.”

“This is an important match for the country,” he added.