Quoting the non-English daily newspaper
Al-Mustaqbal, the Arab Times reported Wednesday that KFA chairman Sheikh Talal
Al-Fahd made the threat after the Kuwaiti government stopped supporting the
association.
Reached for reaction, Philippine Football Federation
president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said he doesn’t think the Kuwaitis will
forfeit their match against the Azkals which starts on July 23 (July 24 in Manila
The second match is set five days later at the Rizal
Memorial stadium.
The Azkals have set up training camp in Bahrain to prepare for their second round match
against the Al-Azraq, Kuwait
Meanwhile, the International Football Federation
(FIFA), football’s highest governing body, deferred action on the PFF’s appeal
with regards to the suspension of Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock.
FIFA said it cannot act on the appeal without the
endorsement of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)..
Borromeo, the Azkals skipper, and Fil-German Shrock,
an important piece in the midfield, are barred from playing in the first leg
against Kuwait after getting
their second yellow cards during home match against Sri Lanka
Two yellow cards merit automatic suspension.
The AFC had earlier told the PFF to lodge the appeal
before the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.
But FIFA, in a letter signed by Mark Caballero, head
of the Discipline and Governance Committee, said the appeal should come from
the governing confederation.
“What we’ll try to do is write AFC again, and
hopefully we can get their endorsement,” Araneta said.
Unlike the Azkals who had to overcome Sri Lanka in the first round, Al-Azraq, a Middle East power is seeded in the second round.
Azkals coach Michael Weiss admits the team will be a
heavy underdog, but promised to pull off an upset against the 10-time Gulf Cup
champions who made it to the World Cup finals in 1982
