Caligdong tapped to assist Dooley

MANILA, Philippines - There was a familiar animated figure on the bench of the Philippine Azkals in their international friendly matches against Bahrain and North Korea, respectively, at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium a week ago.

Emelio “Chieffy” Caligdong was back not as a player but as an assistant coach of American mentor Thomas Dooley as the national team girds for the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup kicking off next month.

In his last Suzuki Cup outing in 2012, the fleet-footed winger was a “super sub,” scoring the winning goal in the Philippines’ pulsating 1-0 win over Vietnam in the group stage at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The thrilling triumph secured the country’s third straight passage into the semifinals of Southeast Asia’s men’s football championship.

It proved to be an outstanding year for Caligdong, 34, who was cited in 2012 as one  of the Ten Outstanding Young Men awardees by the Philippine Jaycees, a rare accomplishment for an athlete.   

“He (Caligdong) is a perfect fit,” noted Dooley of his new deputy. “Chieffy used to be one of them while the younger players look up to and respect him as a former player so that is good for me.  They are familiar with him. What the players cannot tell me directly they can certainly tell him.”