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| The Rizal Memorial Stadium, which has already hosted two AFF Suzuki Cup semifinal matches, can only fill in 15 thousand people. |
MANILA--The Philippines' opportunity to host the AFF Suzuki Cup is in doubt after reportedly backing out of it, citing stadium problems.
"The PFF were unable to deliver the contract with the stadium which was to host the prestigious tournament. The PFF were given two extensions to try and negotiate with the stadium to secure the contract," the AFF said in its statement on Wednesday.
In an advisory of the PFF written by Secretary General Edwin Gastanes and was posted later Wednesday, the PFF encountered various problems with regards to the stadiums.
In that statement, Gastanes said that Lagarde Sports, the rights holder of Southeast Asia's premier tournament, rejected Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila as the primary venue for the group stage and the deadline of the written stadium hire contract in Bocaue's Philippine Sports Stadium lapsed on Feb. 9.
The tournament regulations require at least a 30-thousand seater stadium for the group stages. Both the RMS, which has a maximum capacity of 15 thousand, and PSS, which can accommodate up to 20 thousand, are way short in the criteria, although the AFF gave the PFF the green light to stage the Azkals' home games during the 2012 and 2014 semifinals.
With that, the PFF will address the stadium concern in the AFF Council Meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam on March 12.
Multiple sources cite that Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia are interested to replace the Philippines in case the latter formally withdraws its hosting rights.
The AFF awarded the hosting of this year's championship to Myanmar and the Philippines in 2013, and it is supposed to be the first time they will host the biennial tilt.
Follow him on Twitter: @KevinLEstrada
Follow him on Twitter: @KevinLEstrada
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