The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) has high hopes for the national men’s football team that will participate in the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan starting on Wednesday.

PFF president John Gutierrez said with members of the senior team joining the competition along with new head coach Michael Martinez Alvarez of Spain, they are optimistic the Nationals will make the grade for the Asian Cup next year in Saudi Arabia.

Bannering the U23 squad are national team members Sandro Reyes, Santi Rublico and Alex Monis along with Filipino-English defender Isaiah Fariq Alakiu, who plays for the U18 squad of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.

Also joining the squad are Nicholas Guimaraes, Jose Alfonso Gonzalez, and Cesar Iñigo Castro III, Karl Absalon, Kamil Jaser Amirul, Otu Abang Banatao, Ramil Bation III and Jian Vinz Caraig.

Completing the roster are Dov Anthony Misael Cariño, Uriel Dalapo, Gabriel Guimaraes, Noah River Leddek, John Albert Luis Lucero, Selwyn Nickos Mamon, Javier Alessandro Mariona, Gavin Muens, Antoine Ortega, Jared Alexander Peña, Jaime Rosquillo and Zachary Taningco.

“We are confident in the squad selected for the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. This team, a mix of top talent from both the Philippines and abroad, is ready to compete,” Gutierrez said.

“We believe they have what it takes to perform at the highest level and advance to the Asian Cup, building on their impressive run in the ASEAN semis.”

The Philippines is in Group K with Tajikistan, Nepal and Syria.

Only the top teams per group and the four best second-place squads will join the Asian Cup.

The Nationals will first face the Syrians on Wednesday, the Tajiks on 7 September and the Nepalese on 9 September.