Raphael Obermair will not suit up for the Philippine Azkals despite having already obtained his Philippine passport in time for the qualifiers set next month, unlike fellow Fil-German Gerrit Holtmann.
1 FC Magdeburg midfielder Raphael Obermair’s Azkals debut will have to wait as he would not be joining the Philippines’ campaign in the joint qualification for the 2022 Fifa World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Suzhou, China next month.
The 25-year-old booter told his club’s website about the decision, stating that he will not make it to the training camp in Doha, Qatar.
It would be hard for Obermair to adjust given the limited time to familiarize with the team
“I was very happy about the nomination and am extremely grateful that it worked out so quickly with my passport and my Filipino citizenship. Especially during this coronavirus pandemic, the Philippine Football Federation has helped me so well,” he said.
“But I have decided to forego this trip now. I would not be coming to Germany until May 30th, and I still haven't gotten to know the team and the whole team around it. And it is very important to me to get a good insight,” he added.
Obermair will not suit up for the Philippine Azkals despite having already obtained his Philippine passport in time for the qualifiers set next month, unlike fellow Fil-German Gerrit Holtmann.
The 6-ft-0 midfielder however, is not closing his doors for the chance to play for the Azkalas as he is looking forward to suiting up for the country and added in the interview that he intends to give away his kit to his mother as a gift.
“I would be happy if the next international trip works out, hopefully this year,” said Obermair.
“I'm very proud, even if it's a small country in terms of football. But I keep hearing that the national team is very important in the Philippines. I am also told very often when I will be playing for the national team. My mother is also really looking forward to seeing me in this special jersey,” he added.
With Obermair out, the pool for the upcoming joint 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifying matches keeps hanging by a thread as this might prove to be a blow to the roster as reports earlier stated that another midfielder, John-Patrick Strauss picked up an injury while playing for his team, FC Erzgebirge Aue. (NP)
Tags: #football, PhilippineAzkals, #RaphaelObermair