Norman Fegidero gets another shot at the Philippine Men’s National Football Team. It’s a popular appointment that hopefully means good results on the pitch.
On Wednesday the Philippine men’s national team will take the field against hosts Malaysia in the Merdeka Cup. The cavernous Bukit Jalil stadium should be buzzing in a sea of black and gold for the home fans. But I can’t help but think that among the crowd, there will be a few older Malaysia fans who will spot the visiting team’s gaffer on the sideline, and think to themselves, “oh no, not him again.”
A history lesson is needed to explain. Flashback to November 26, 1991. It’s the Southeast Asian Games, and the Philippines are hosting. We are entertaining defending SEA Games champs Malaysia in Rizal Memorial.
I watched with my Dad, a former UST player, and my brother Anton. I was eighteen years old. I vividly remember the rather dire condition of the pitch, that seemed to be covered in what looked like straw.
The Philippines had drawn Vietnam 2-2 and must have been confident going into the match against Malaysia. In front of a packed crowd, legends of Pinoy football had suited up. In goal was the undersized but agile Melo Sabacan. The midfield had Pilo Rosell and the late Rudy Del Rosario. And up top was 21-year old Norman “Nonoy” Fegidero.
The match was attritional and goal-less until late. Philippine coach Eckhart Krautzun inserted veteran Elmer Bedia into the lineup. The Barotacnon had been called up from Australia to add quality to the flanks. With mere minutes to go Bedia unspooled a great ball from the right flank and Fegidero hoofed it past the Malaysian keeper in the south end for the only goal of the game.
At the final whistle there was delirium. The champs had been vanquished, 1-0. Myself and numerous other fans stormed the pitch. I hugged a player. The Philippines went on to finish fourth. Still the best performance by a men’s Philippine team in a SEA Games. It’s a shame there isn’t any video of the goal on Youtube.
Thirty-three years later, it’s Fegidero looking to frustrate Malaysia one more time, and this time as the coach.
The other day, Philippines coach Tom Saintfiet shockingly tendered his resignation, and within a few hours National Teams head Freddy Gonzalez had named Fegidero the interim coach to lead the Philippines in the Merdeka Cup, a tune up for the Mitsubishi Electric AFF Cup late in the year. It’s a second spell for Fegidero, who coached the NT in 2008 during the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers.
The Bacolodnon icon is still making a name for himself as a coach, but as a footballer, his legacy is secure.
“Norman Fegidero was the country’s main striker before Freddy Gonzalez, Chieffy Caligdong and all-time top scorer Phil Younghusband came into the scene,” says Central Philippine University women’s futsal coach Vince Arriola, a longtime observer of Philippine football.
“He was very smart and knew how to position his body well,” adds Arriola.
“Nonoy is street smart and always calm,” adds Gue David, a former Air Force player and match commissioner.
“It’s where his captain’s experience comes in.”
DLSU head coach Alvin Ocampo is also effusive in his praise for his former national teammate.
“Experience really sets him apart. And he was a player who would not back down.”
Fegidero says he has scored 13 international senior goals, but the SEA Games strike against Malaysia was certainly the most iconic one.
The striker played his club football for Air Force and was in the national team until the early 00s. His two brothers, Joshua and Dave, were also fine footballers as was his cousin Troy. Dave died tragically in an accident while living in Thailand.
Coach Nonoy was indeed part of a Filipino footballing family, much like the Younghusbands, the Tonogs, the Hartmanns, Amitas, Clarinos, etc.
Fegidero has had his share of success as a coach. In 2008 he was named the Philippines head coach in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifying campaign in Iloilo. He went undefeated, winning over Brunei and Bhutan but a goalless draw in between those wins against Tajikistan proved their undoing. The Pinoys finished with ten men after Jason Cordova was sent off that day. The Philippines missed out on qualification due to goal difference. This was Neil Etheridge’s debut for the Philippines.
He was also handed the reins to Pachanga FC, and under his watch they won the UFL second division, gaining promotion to the first tier in 2012 without losing a game.
Although Fegidero starred for West Negros in his university football career, he ended up coaching for their arch-rivals University of St. La Salle. Frank Labayan is one of his products, and the holding midfielder has shone in DLSU in his rookie season.
Most recently Fegidero was in command of the SEA Games team in the 2021 edition of the contest, delayed to 2022 because of Covid. His squad, featuring Jovin Bedic and Stephan Schrock as allowed overage players, started well, with a 4-0 win over Timor Leste. They then held hosts Vietnam to a superb goalless draw. Sadly, the squad lost to Myanmar 3-2 and Indonesia 4-0 to bow out.
Fegidero is an obvious replacement for Saintfiet because he has been with the program for a while, and should have the credentials as a player and coach to earn the respect in the dressing room.
It’s also a boost for local coaches to see one of their own handle the senior national team. The Philippines might still seem like a backwater in the world of football, but there is coaching talent. Anto Gonzales, a serial UAAP champ at UP, comes instantly to mind.
This Merdeka Cup is actually a two-match affair. If the Philippines can defeat Malaysia on Wednesday, it meets the winner of Tajikistan vs Lebanon in the final. If they lose against the Harimau Malaysia, the Philippines plays a third-place game against the other September 4 loser.
Many old school Filipino fans are delighted with the appointment because it is the triumph of a loyal foot soldier who has more than paid his dues to the game. We hope he succeeds. No doubt he will have to make a motley crew of players coming from all over the world into a cohesive unit, never an easy task.
A good showing in Malaysia could help extend Fegidero’s tenure. In October the Philippines will play another pocket tournament, the King’s Cup, in Thailand. The Mitsubishi Electric Cup, formerly known as the AFF Suzuki Cup, will follow soon after. It remains to be seen if Fegidero will be replaced before the Mitsubishi Electric or even before the King’s Cup.
But what is sure is Norman Fegidero has two matches where he can show his tactical nous to the football world. If he can conjure up some of that magic of 1991, this time as a coach, Philippine football is the big winner.
Banner Image from the PFF.