The Philippines will have to make do without the overlapping runs of Daisuke Sato when they take on Vietnam in the semi-final of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018.
The winger has had to return to his Romanian club – ACS Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe.
“On to the semi-final of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018, I’m happy to have achieved this together with the team and of course we are looking for [the] gold. But at the same time, I’m sad to say my time with the national team is over,” wrote Sato in a statement posted on Twitter.
“This was the tournament that I always wanted to play [in] since I missed AFF Suzuki Cup 2016. But I’m thankful to the club for the opportunity that they gave me and led me to play for four games.”
Sato has been an invaluable player under former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, where his overlapping runs with Stephan Schrock created lots of problems for opposing teams.
“To represent my country is always special for me. [It’s] so hard to leave here at this moment but I wish them all the best and I’m sure the boys will give everything. Thank you for your support and see you soon,” added Sato.
