Little Azkals start search for training pool players

LITTLE Azkals head coach Oliver Colina and his staff will start scouting for football players to be added to the Philippine Boys Under-14 training pool.

Colina said he and his staff will spread out to scout during the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Regional Festival of Football in San Carlos City, Davao, Naga City, Iligan and Laguna.

The football festival in San Carlos will happen simultaneously with the one in Davao and Naga City from Feb. 24 to 26. The Iligan leg will be from March 2 to 4, while Laguna will hold it on March 9 to 12.

Aside from scouting new players, the Little Azkals coaching staff will also be checking out the improvement of the players who failed to make the cut in last year’s selection.

Those selected will then be evaluated alongside with the official lineup of the Little Azkals and those that are currently in the training pool and will be trimmed down to 30.

From the 30, Colina said they will choose 22 to form the official lineup who will be seeing action in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-14 Festival of Football in Malaysia this June.

He added that he will also be taking the 22 from the 30 for the Italy training camp this summer.

Those who will not be chosen to go to Italy will continue their training here and will still have a chance to join the team in Malaysia. /CORRESPONDENT MARS G. ALISON