Spanish coach Albert Capellas expects a tough battle ahead as the national men’s football team aims for a historic triumph in the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup next month.

Speaking at the Manila leg of the Mitsubishi Electric Cup Trophy Tour over the weekend, Capellas vowed to whip the Filipino booters into their best form in Southeast Asia’s top football tournament.

The Filipinos, who have reached the semifinals of the tournament four times, the last coming in 2018, are grouped with two-time champions Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar and Laos.

“I only can promise that we will do our best to win the games,” Capellas said.

“If that happens, let’s see what we can achieve in the finals and maybe we deserve to be here, alongside the other winners.”

Current players Simone Rota and Patrick Deyto, as well as former national team stars Misagh Bahadoran and Ali Borromeo also attended the Trophy Tour events that included a football clinic at Tuloy sa Don Bosco in Muntinlupa.

“It’s about time we get our hands on the trophy,” said Deyto, a former De La Salle University standout who has carved out a solid career that included a stint in the Thai League.

The trophy had a lengthy tour across Southeast Asia which began last September in Bangkok, and travelled to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Jakarta, before its final leg in Manila.

The semifinals will be played on a home-and-away basis on 26 to 27 December and 29 to 30 December with the final on 2 and 5 January.

The group phase of the 2024 edition of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup kicks off on 8 December but the Philippines won’t open its campaign until 12 December when they host Myanmar.

The Filipinos face Laos on 15 December in Vientiane before clashing with Vietnam in Manila three days later. They wrap up the group stage in Jakarta where they will play Indonesia.

The semifinals will be played on a home-and-away basis on 26 to 27 December and 29 to 30 December with the final on 2 and 5 January.