Southeast Asia

Philippines Appoint Scott Cooper as New Head Coach

The Philippines national football team have appointed former Muangthong and Buriram United manager Scott Cooper as their new head coach.

Cooper had previously joined the nation’s football setup as a senior advisor to then-coach Terry Butcher, but has since stepped into the main role following his resignation.

The Englishman’s record in Asian Football should inspire confidence amongst Azkals fans. After coaching the national teams of Anguilla and Montserrat, he was appointed as a coach of Leicester City’s Academy, before taking his talents to the far east. During his time at Buriram United, he led his side to the top of the table, only to resign in September before seeing out the entire campaign. Under his guidance, nine players from the Thunder Castle won call-ups to the Thai national team, as his side reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League.

His time at Muangthong United was somewhat less successful, but he is still remembered fondly for his efforts in coaching the club, albeit for a short stint. His most impressive achievement was leading newly formed Ubon UMT United from the fourth to the first division of Thai Football with two back-to-back promotions between 2015 and 2017, before achieving an incredibly respectable tenth place finish in the big time.

The new Philippines boss has the AFF Suzuki Cup to look forward to in November before the nation is set to make a historic maiden appearance at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates. The Azkals will face South Korea, China and Kyrgyzstan in Group C.

“We’re focused on building a process towards the Asian Cup in January” coach Cooper said in an interview with CNN Philippines. “I’ve always admired a lot of the Filipino players, and for me, it’s a team that has got a lot of potential and an opportunity to go a step or two further.”

With the Philippines’ first major international competition looming over the horizon, coach Scott Cooper will be tasked with leading the side during what could be a pivotal moment for the national team.