Philippine national men's football team veteran Daisuke Sato is excited to play with the current Azkals squad.

Sato, who currently plays for Persib Bandung in Liga 1 in Indonesia, said the way the Azkals enjoy each other's company will be instrumental in their future matches, including the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualification from 12 to 17 October.

The Azkals are currently playing against Nepal in a friendly match at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex as of press time.

"On and off the pitch, we're having a great time. We communicate a lot. I believe these kinds of things will help us on the pitch," Sato said.

"Whoever the opponent is, we're always the underdog. We will make sure that we are the hungry ones."

Since joining the national team in 2014, the Filipino-Japanese defender has been a part of many landmark moments, including in the Philippines' first appearance in the AFC Asian Cup in 2019.

The match against the Nepalese is one of the two friendly matches for the Azkals as part of the buildup for the World Cup qualifiers.

The Azkals will face Chinese Taipei on Monday at 7 p.m. in the same venue.