Caslib quits

AFTER steering the senior national team to its best performance in decades, coach Ariston Caslib is quitting his post.

However, football fans need not fret as the 36-year-old coach will still stay with Philippine football to concentrate on the Under 23 team, which will play in the Southeast Asian Games.

Caslib said he has already informed the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) regarding the move even before the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championships in Thailand but that he has yet to tender his writing resignation.

“Although it (resignation) is not yet final, that’s my direction. I want to concentrate with the Under 23 for the 2009 Sea Games. Our target is to win the first medal,” said Caslib.

Caslib also said he has no idea as to who will replace him in the senior team, which he guided to a 3-1 record during the AFF qualifiers in Bacolod City last year.

The coach took over in 2004 and steered the Philippines to its first win in almost 13 years with a 2-1 escape over East Timor in the then 2004 Tiger Cup, now called the AFF Championships.

“One of the biggest challenges was to deliver really good results and we were able to do that during the qualifiers,” said Caslib.

During the Bacolod tourney, the Philippines lost to Laos, 1-2, but went on an unheard of win streak—beating Timor, 7-0, Cambodia, 1-0 and Brunei, 4-1, to bag the second championships slot.

The performance of the team also had Caslib eyeing a semifinal slot in the Championships.

However, the country’s slim chance got doused after losing captain Ali Borromeo in a 0-4 loss to Malaysia. The Philippines again dropped its next game to Thailand, 0-4, but earned rave reviews in an 0-0 draw with Myanmar, which earlier drew Thailand and Malaysia.

For this year’s Seag, Caslib said he will be looking at the former teammates of Michael Casas, who used to play for the Carmen National School.

“Sisilipin natin kung sisilbi pa (We’ll check if they are still good enough),” he said.

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